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###CLAIM: evolve towards supporting an environment of highly distributed distributed processing services that serve to expand the set of use cases including application organization and machine learning services including cloud subscriptions. ###DOCS: Businesses that want to gain an advantage by introducing a new product or enhancing the customer experience must first assess whether their technology is up to the task. gettyAnd when it is not, many business leaders turn to the cloud to achieve the speed, agility and resources needed to support the innovation theyve set out to make. Still, there are times when moving a workload or process to the cloud either wouldnt make sense or would run afoul of certain requirements. Local applications may need to work with local datasets, share data with other on-premises applications that need low latency or meet data residency requirements. Workload configurations, data gravity and data-compliance mandates are other reasons workloads remain on-premises. Efforts to introduce the benefits of the cloud through hybrid approacheswith on-premises systems communicating with cloud serviceshave come up short, requiring teams to maintain and manage two environments with varying standards, capabilities and levels of scalability. Technology leaders, meanwhile, continue to look for ways to enhance IT without ripping apart whats already in place. We will explore how the hybrid-cloud infrastructure of today can deliver end-to-end transformation and innovation for the enterprise. Infrastructure That Extends The CloudgettyIn its earliest days, the cloud was seen as a way to move applications out of on-site data centers to off-site services managed by third parties. As adoption grew, so did the role of cloud in the business, evolving to support highly distributed computing environments that serve an expanded set of use cases, including the containerization of applications and machine learning services that are included with cloud subscriptions. An emerging approach extends the cloud to on premises resources to meet the needs of growing digital enterprises. By using cloud infrastructure that is located on-site and connected to cloud regions, enterprises can leverage cloud computing on-premises to manage a range of workloads. AWS Infrastructure SolutionsFor customers with ultra-low latency requirements, deploying cloud applications in close proximity to end users and dependent systems is a must. Organizations can also use edge infrastructure to address data residency requirements, process local data in specific geographic locations or modernize legacy applications while keeping them on premises in accordance with regulations or standards. For many enterprises seeking the scale, availability and ease of use of the cloud, managing the cloud alongside their existing environments can be challenging. Because each environment comes with its own set of programming models and tools, work for developers increases significantly. AWS now offers a fully assembled package delivered to enterprise doorsteps. The solution, AWS Outposts, extends AWS services, APIs and tools that are used to build and run applications to on-premises data centers. Customers can preconfigure these standard server racks with Intel-powered Nitro-based Amazon EC2 virtual machine instances, Amazon EBS block storage and Amazon S3 object storage. AWS Outposts is fully managed, maintained and supported by AWS, so the business can focus on whats truly differentiated, said Joshua Burgin, general manager of AWS Outposts. Burgin, who helped build Amazon e-commerce software as one of the companys first 100 employees, is now leading AWS into the next phase of cloud computing. AWS Infrastructure SolutionsRegardless of where its deployedfrom a region to a customers data centerwe think of the cloud as a highly elastic service that takes care of the undifferentiated heavy lifting, whether it be for compute or storage or databases or machine learning, he said. What makes it work is when its provided by a company with a track record of operating at scale and at a sustained pace of innovationlike AWS.A Consistent Hybrid ExperienceTo proceed into this next phase of your cloud transformation journey, Burgin recommends four steps for successfully getting started:Assess Your Business Needs. There are many business reasons for maintaining on-premises systems. Educate the business on the range of hybrid solutions that are now available to move forward. An important consideration for many enterprises is low latency. This may include supporting interactive applications, such as media-editing tools or online multiplayer gaming, and providing services that need to be deployed close to end users within a latency target, such as 20 milliseconds. There are also latency-sensitive business applications where the workload needs to be connected to another device or system on a local area network (LAN). Understand The Constraints. IT decisions are often driven by rules and mandates affecting the handling of sensitive data. Data residency requirements may determine where and how personal or financial information is stored and processed. Government and industry rules and mandates may also demand high levels of data security, privacy and transparency in processes. Establish A Phased Migration Strategy. Eventually, the goal may be to move most of an enterprise portfolio to the cloud, especially legacy on-premises applications, such as those running on aging mainframes. This can involve embracing technologies, such as containers and microservices. Whatever form the modernization takes, it can present numerous challenges. Having access to consistent services, tools and experiencesacross on-premises IT and the cloudeases the modernization journey. Count Innovation As A Measurable Benefit. At first, enterprises looked to the cloud to improve flexibility and lower costs. Now, cloud is the foundation of end-to-end digital transformation and resulting innovation. The efficiencies and savings seen from cloud computing can be compelling, especially to the watchful eyes of chief executives. Even more compelling, however, is the opening up of new ways to accomplish tasks and pursue innovation. When developer teams have more freedom to build, the path to innovation becomes more accessible. Bringing The Cloud On PremisesAWS Outposts is ideal for workloads that require low-latency access to on-premises systems, local data processing or local data storage, as well as for data residency needs. AWS Outposts also meets the modernization challenge with its hybrid model and is ideal for migrating existing and legacy data. For many industries, low latency is an urgent requirement that could not be adequately addressed through earlier generations of cloud solutions. A hospital that supports robotic surgery, which has to be done in real time and under a second, is a case in point. Robotic surgery, which must be done in real time and under a second, is the kind of use case that will move heavily onto services like AWS Outposts and leave the traditional hardware-software model behind. Fundamentally, Outposts was developed to help AWS customers get more value out of their technology investments, Burgin said. Even though Amazon has changed a lot from the early days when we only sold books, the ethos of customer obsession has always been our guiding principle.

###CLAIM: in 2020, everyone talking about the supply chain wants to change the perception because of both real challenges and the challenges of getting products from factories to consumers in the 19th and 20th centuries. ###DOCS: Yossi SheffiAccording to Yossi Sheffi, professor at MIT and director of the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics, supply chain is typically the asphalt of the road that is, when it works, theres no need to talk about it. In 2020, of course, everyone wanted to talk about supply chain, thanks to both real and perceived challenges in getting products from factories to consumers during the Covid-19 pandemic. From toilet paper shortages and shipping delays to problems getting PPE to healthcare workers and delays in rolling out Covid-19 vaccines, few topics were front and center in the media like the trials and tribulations of the global supply chain. In March, I realized we were experiencing the biggest emphasis on supply chain issues in my lifetime, says Sheffi. At the time, he was working on a fifth book about the history of innovation in supply chain management, but he quickly pivoted. That shift resulted in his latest book, The New (Ab)Normal, which examines how companies had to rapidly change their operations in the face of disrupted supply, hoarding problems, government mandates and medical supply needs. He details how businesses grappled with the chaos of the pandemic, and explores what enterprises are likely to do to survive and thrive in 2021 and beyond, after the pandemic starts to subside. It was history as it was unfolding, he says. He worked on the book until August, usually on four hours of sleep a night, and had to be ready for anything. Many things changed along the way, particularly regarding vaccine development, which happened far faster over the summer than anybody thought, he adds. Supply Chain Heroics Marked 2020The biggest takeaway regarding supply chains 2020 trials and tribulations? The supply chain did hold. While there were egregious, devastating missteps around medical supply (The lack of PPE surprised me, says Sheffi), on the whole, the supply chain did not break. This was the supply chains finest hour, with people who did heroic things, he says. Consider the nations food supply: Overnight, half of the locations receiving food deliveries including university campuses and large institutions closed completely in mid-March. The supply chains for those recipients were not built to efficiently deliver to supermarkets or restaurants, because the machinery was meant for huge pallets and 100-pound sacks of products such as rice and flour, rather than the one-pound containers supplied to retailers. Consumers also changed their consumption habits dramatically, buying less fresh produce, for example, and more bread and pasta. But companies managed to adjust, and the food supply chain kept rolling along, thanks to the efforts of workers and the ingenuity and commitment of the people and organizations who run and operate the supply chains, says Sheffi in The New (Ab)Normal. The media, Sheffi insists, overreacted and exacerbated the crisis with sensational coverage. Photos of empty shelves were typically taken at the end of the day, whereas grocery stores typically replenish at night, he says. In the morning, visitors would have found stocked shelves.The companies that succeeded in 2020 were able to make changes that boosted agility in order to shore up fragile supply chains. For example, one of the biggest transportation issues to tackle was the lost of airplane capacity. Over half of freight goes in the belly of U.S. passenger planes, which had significantly reduced flights. However, in a rare bright spot for airlines, Korean Air reported quarterly profits in the second quarter, during the height of the pandemic. Thats because they pivoted to running cargo-only flights, shipping South Korean tech products around the world, from companies such as Samsung and LG. Korean Air was one of only a couple of airlines to make a profit in 2020, Sheffi says. 2021 Supply Chain OpportunitiesNow, while companies look to succeed in 2021, the pandemic still rages but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The challenge is how to keep supply chain flexibility and speed but not cut corners, says Sheffi: You want to eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy but keep the necessary gates and hurdles.According to The New (Ab)Normal, managing within this continued uncertainty calls for preserving resources required for survival, response and recovery; focusing on agile decision-making processes; and attaining new levels of information sharing both inside and outside the organization. While all eyes are on supply chain areas such as Covid-19 vaccine distribution, which Sheffi agrees does not look promising right now, the speedy vaccine development proves that companies can do things better and faster than they ever thought. Im very optimistic, he says. Companies know how to do things better now and can anticipate and plan for future supply chain disruptions. As industries look ahead, the growth opportunities are vast: There is going to be a big economic expansion, just as after World War II the U.S. had the Roaring 20s, he says. There are many roads to supply chain success in 2021, thanks to continued growth in e-commerce and omnichannel retail, as well as lower technology barriers to entry for small suppliers, and new deals in fulfillment and delivery. The crisis may have made people and companies more resilient, Sheffi says in The New (Ab)Normal: Although Covid-19 may have exposed the fragile links lurking in the global economy, it also accelerated the adoption of a great many technologies and practices that will make the global economy more robust over time. Safety first supply chain gettySupply Chains have come to the forefront in 2020 and are now a discussion in almost every boardroom. For the last 20 years or so, executives have viewed the supply chain as an area of cost-saving rather than an area of differentiation. But when you strip costs out of the supply chains you invariably increase risk, and the 2020 pandemic exposed this risk. When COVID-19 shut the Chinese borders down, supply chains around the world were brought to a standstill. So much global manufacturing had been outsourced to a single country, and as demand spiked for PPE and vital household goods, supply dried up. And we arent out of the woods yet. COVID-19 has proven that companies need to design their supply chains with risk in mind. It cant all be about cost reduction. The need for Resilient Supply ChainsThere needs to be a balance between costs and risks. Do you have alternate sourcing strategies? Where do you keep inventory? How do you balance your off-shoring, near-shoring, and no-shoring strategies? To help think through this, I recently had a chance to catch up with Michel Roger, Managing Director, Global Supply Chain Lead for SAP at Accenture, and we discussed the pandemics effect on our global supply chains. Ive had so many conversations with folks who are just going back to their day-to-day operations, forgetting about the daily crises they had to manage during the peak time of the pandemic, said Roger. Organizations have a very short-term memory, and employees are working to help the business recover as fast as possible. What they lose sight of is that this pandemic isnt over, yet. And even when a vaccine comes, there is always another supply chain disruption around the corner.I think Michel makes a great point. We have had supply chain disruptions before the pandemic, and we will have disruptions after the pandemic. The demand for Sustainable Supply ChainsPrior to COVID-19, there was already a surge in demand for more sustainable shipping and packaging options. Many organizations made this a priority for their teams and had to shift it to the backburner during the pandemic when operations moved to survival mode. In many ways, the pandemics effect on supply chains can bolster sustainability efforts. Localizing supply chains is by default improving the sustainability of the system by reducing carbon emissions. There is also the market pressure beyond the consumer for increased sustainability in the supply chain, said Roger. There is the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, for instance, a regulatory body that is working to make this more of a priority for all companies.Visibility is keyA disruption at the magnitude of COVID-19 also highlights a lack of supply chain visibility. You need visibility at every layer of your supply chain to both sense and respond to both risks and opportunities. If you cant see there's a problem, you can't respond to it. Direct to consumer is here to stayThis visibility is incredibly important for direct-to-consumer businesses, which have skyrocketed during the pandemic, and look to remain a key channel post pandemic. But to make direct-to-consumer more sustainable and cost-effective, companies need to see and itemize every step in their supply chain from where every piece is manufactured, to how the final product is packaged, to how that product gets delivered to the consumer. A global luxury beauty company, for instance, produces one of the most expensive bottles you can find on the market for their product, said Roger. Then, they put a package on top of the bottle to sell and ship it. They spend 95% of the cost of the product on the bottle and then they put the packaging on top of it. It needs to change.The only constant is change itselfManufacturing practices and supply chain strategies are adjusting and will continue to face pressure from consumers and regulatory bodies to crack down on environment-damaging inefficiencies. This will include sustainability measures and innovations for supply chain visibility, resilience, and risk mitigation, as well as at the consumer-level with packaging and last-mile delivery. Our supply chains are still recovering, as another spike hits various parts of the world, and the holidays are upon us. Dont let a short memory stop your company from making sustainable, resilient changes to your supply chain right now. We dont know what the next big disruption or opportunity will be. But whatever it is, our supply chains must be ready. To learn how your business can be more resilient in times of disruption, check out the IDC report, Resilient Supply Chain Planning for a Disruptive World.

###CLAIM: `` the mother remains in good spirits, especially after the chance to see her son for the first time in five months, '' he added. ###DOCS: RABAT, Morocco (AP) A prominent Moroccan journalist and activist appeared before an investigating judge in Casablanca on Thursday to face charges of spying in a case that has raised concerns over press freedoms in the North African kingdom. Omar Radi, a 34-year-old investigative journalist and human rights activist, faces charges of undermining state security, receiving foreign funding and collaborating with foreign intelligence.Radi has been in custody in Casablanca since being arrested last July on espionage and rape charges. Rights groups say that the charges are politically motivated. ADVERTISEMENTThursdays hearing lasted about 15 minutes, according to Radis father, Driss Radi, who maintains that the charges against his son are empty.He remains in good spirits especially after he had the chance to see his mother for the first time in five months in the courthouse, he added. In March, Radi was given a four-month suspended sentence and fined 500 Moroccan dirhams ($52) for criticizing a judge on Twitter for upholding harsh prison sentences against anti-government protesters. The espionage charges are more serious and could carry a much heavier sentence if he is convicted when the case reaches a full trial. He is also facing separate rape charges that his supporters say are baseless. In June, Radi was the subject of an Amnesty International report that said Moroccan authorities had unlawfully spied on the journalist through his phone using sophisticated surveillance software. The Moroccan government disputed that. Maati Monjib, a professor of political history and African studies at the University of Rabat and a writer for national and international news organisations, and his supporters participate in a demonstration near the "Moroccan Human Rights Association" (AMDH) in Rabat October 28, 2015. REUTERS/Stringer(Reuters) - A Moroccan judge on Tuesday ordered the provisional release of dissident writer and rights activist Maati Monjib, who was held in custody pending an investigation into money-laundering allegations, in a case that has worried rights defenders. His release was confirmed by his lawyer Mohamed Messaoudi. Monjib has been on a hunger strike since March 4, triggering a wave of solidarity by rights groups in Morocco and abroad calling for his release. A university historian who writes frequent newspaper editorials, Monjib has often criticised Moroccos record on freedom of expression and human rights. In late December, a judge ordered Monjib to be taken into custody pending an investigation in a case of laundering foreign funds relating to his management of a research centre in Rabat. Monjib denied the charges. A month later, he was sentenced to one year in prison on charges of endangering internal state security and fraud, in a case dating back to 2015. His lawyers said they appealed the verdict. A national solidarity committee with Monjib, composed of Moroccan rights NGOs and prominent activists, said his arrest was arbitrary. Moroccan authorities have often denied waging a campaign against free speech, saying the police and courts are just implementing national laws. Earlier this month, a group of Moroccan rights NGOs described the increasing use of pre-trial detention as a human rights violation.

###CLAIM: lamberts ' attorney for the memo defense said his client was inspired by the usa network 's portrayal of a lawyer-as-parliamentary character in `` suits. '' ###DOCS: Students for Trump co-founder and pugnacious MAGA Twitter star Ryan Fournier allegedly helped his friend create a fake law firm to bilk innocent clients, only to turn against his one-time partner to help federal law enforcement, according to records and statements made Tuesday by a lawyer involved in the case. The new revelations about Fourniers alleged involvement in the fake law firm came after a Tuesday sentencing hearing where a federal judge sentenced Fourniers Students for Trump co-founder, 25-year-old John Lambert, to 13 months in jail for operating a fake law practice. Court records have long suggested that Fournier was the unnamed Co-Conspirator 1 named in Lamberts 2019 indictment. On Tuesday, Lamberts defense attorney said that Fournier was the co-conspirator in an interview with the New York Daily News. Lamberts attorney confirmed Fourniers involvement in an email to The Daily Beast. Fournier didnt respond to requests for comment. Fournier will not face prosecution himself, according to a document filed by federal prosecutors. In a federal court filing, the man now identified as Fournier is described as providing information to the government since in or about April 2018 in the hope of not being charged for his role in the wire-fraud conspiracy.In August 2016, Lambert and Fournier created a fake legal consulting company. Fournier allegedly used the alias Gregory Shapiro to create a bogus persona for his fictitious attorney character working with Lambert to solicit legal clients online. The pair allegedly went to great lengths to trick people into thinking they were high-powered lawyers, including spoofing a phone number with a Manhattan area code, when they were based in North Carolina. Both Lambert and his co-conspirator claimed to have law degrees under their aliases that they did not in fact have, according to court filings. The elaborate scheme worked, at least for a while. Lambert received more than $46,000 from unwitting clients, according to the Daily News report. Lamberts attorney has claimed that Fournier received half of the criminal proceeds, though that hasnt been verified by prosecutors. Fournier left the fake law firm at an unspecified point before the con came to an end, according to prosecutors. Lamberts supporters and defense attorney have blasted Fournier as a sinister influence on Lambert, who attended North Carolinas Campbell University with Fournier. Lamberts grandmother described Fournier as someone who lead [Lambert] astray, while a family friend said Lambert had fallen in with a bad crowd.Lamberts defense jabbed at Fournier in a filing, claiming that he put on airs as someone who grew up in New Jersey but often claimed to be from Manhattan.Fournier is tied to Lamberts fake law firm in other ways, too. The website registration for Lamberts first illicit legal consulting company, for example, lists Fournier as the registrant. In a defense memo, Lamberts attorney said his client was inspired to illegally practice law by the USA Network show Suits, which features a character who poses as a lawyer. Shows such as Suits led John Tyler to believe he could practice at being a lawyer by performing tasks that he believed would be beneficial to his customers without significant risk, just as the character Mike Ross in Suits practiced law without a law degree or license and kept that secret without penalty, Lamberts lawyer wrote. Several of Lamberts victims complained to the judge ahead of his sentencing, with one man who hired Lamberts fake law firm to fix his credit saying Lambert convinced him to take money from his 401(k) retirement fund to pay off the fake lawyer. When the pandemic came, the victim now tricked out of at least some of his retirement money fell on hard times. This man is the worst of the worst in my opinion, he took someone who he already knew was a victim and targeted them to further victimize them and I dont know what gets worse than that, the victim wrote in a letter. While Fourniers star on the right has been somewhat diminished since the first days of Students for Trump, he has a prominent platform in Trumpworld, including more than 950,000 Twitter followers. Fournier has kept up a trash-talking attitude in the Biden administration, even to some of his critics on the right. Earlier this week, Fournier made waves on right-wing social media circles with a bellicose Instagram Live in which Fournier addressed his opponents within the GOP. If you dont support me and youve supported Trump since Day 1, go fuck yourself, I really do not give a shit about you, because you are a peasant motherfucker, Fournier said, raising a middle finger to the camera. Because guess what? Fuck you.

###CLAIM: the bears had to trade wilson because of a combination of first-round picks, middle-round picks and defensive players. ###DOCS: Russell Wilson is the latest franchise star to put himself forward for this offseasons game of quarterback musical chairs. Wilson, his agent has been at pains to point out, has not officially demanded a trade from Seattle, but he has in a delightfully passive-aggressive, Wilson-esque way made it clear to the teams decision-makers that he is unhappy with the direction of the franchise and that he would prefer to leave. According to a detailed report in The Athletic, Wilson is unhappy with the teams roster construction, the style of head coach/chief decision-maker Pete Carroll, and the Seahawks offensive system. At the center of the rift are two practical elements. First, Wilsons desire to play in a modern, pace-and-space system similar to that which the Kansas City Chiefs have built around Patrick Mahomes, with everything flowing through the quarterback. Second, Seattles awful offensive line, one that has ranked dead stinking last in pressure rate in three out of the past five seasons. Carroll is an old-school, pound-the-run, play-solid-defense, dont-turn-the-ball-over, coach. That served Wilson and the Seahawks well during the early years of the duos partnership. Behind an all-time defense, a bulldozing run-game led by Marshawn Lynch, and the playmaking brilliance of Wilson, the team went to back-to-back Super Bowls, winning one and losing the other. But as Wilson matured into one of the most well-rounded quarterbacks in the game and the roster around him disintegrated, Carroll did not evolve. He freed up the scheme and catered the system to Wilson in part, but the foundations remained run-first and risk-averse. Whereas Wilson looked in the mirror and saw Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning quarterbacks with the freedom to change the play at the line of scrimmage and who had near-complete autonomy over the system Carroll looked at his quarterback and saw a fantastic cog in his machine. The scheme still won out. All the while, Wilson was taking a beating no quarterback has been hit more since he entered the league, and no quarterback has been hit at the same rate over a three-year span as Wilson has between 2018-2021. There was a change in philosophy last season though. After a three-year drum beat of #LetRussCook, an online movement that began to infiltrate the locker room shorthand for Let Russell Wilson Pass More Carroll handed Wilson the reins to the offense. Still: the quarterback was seen as a player, not a collaborator. He was not offered the kind of quarterback-coach partnership that Rodgers, Manning and Brady had at the peak of their powers, the kind that Wilson believes he has earned over nine years. I know that Im a great football player, Wilson said last season. I know Ive been great, I know I will be great, and I know Ill continue to be great.And Wilson was great at the start of the 2020 season. Behinds Wilsons excellence, Seattle averaged four-and-a-half touchdowns per game over the first half of the season, the kind of total matched only by the Brady led Patriots of 2007, Mannings 2013 Broncos, and the 2000 Rams widely regarded as the best offensive teams of this century. It was a stunning rebuke of the Carroll doctrine. Wilson had finally been allowed to cook, and he proved to be the best chef in the game. Through eight weeks, he topped the MVP charts; even Mahomes could not keep pace. Wilson was able to maintain all of the efficiency that has defined his game with even more explosiveness. And then he cratered. After his best start to a season, Wilson flatlined over the final eight weeks. For the first time in his career, he finished outside the top 10 in Football Outsiders DVOA metric, a measure of a quarterbacks down-to-down efficiency (Wilson has been a demigod of DVOA over the span of his career). In a blink, Carroll returned to the Seahawks style of old. When Wilson tried to offer some input into the gameplan in the middle of last seasons decline, he was rebuffed by the coaching staff. Wilson stormed out of the meeting. Like any great drama, Wilsons real beef is not about how the team does things. Its about respect. He wants to be a partner, a part of a decision-making board, not an employee. The most important people in the building, Seahawks general manager John Schneider told reporters back in 2018, are the head coach and the quarterback. Wilson wants to hold him to that. And then theres his need for external respect. For all of his excellence, for all of the plaudits, Wilson has still never received a single MVP vote. By throwing more, by posting the kind of numbers he did over the first half of last season for 16 games, he thinks he can finally get his hands on the MVP that stuff really, really matters to Wilson. At the most important position in the sport, Wilson has been the games most consistent performer for the better part of a decade, and this despite the sense that the Seahawks system has held him back. Seattles rebuttal is an obvious one: Wilson has been good because of the system and its risk-averse nature, not in spite of it. When the handbrake came off, it proved to be unsustainable. The eye test which often involves Wilson running here, there, and everywhere to avoid pressure does not jibe with the teams assessment. Tired of getting hit. Tired of playing in a plodding system. Tired of not being the sole focus of the franchise, Wilson appears to want out. Like another unsettled quarterback, Deshaun Watson, Wilson has a no-trade clause in his contract, arming him with a ton of leverage over the Seahawks he will have more say than the team on where he plays in 2021 and beyond if he does move. His agent told ESPN that while Wilson will not demand an official trade, he has made it known to the Seahawks hierarchy the teams he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to move to the Cowboys, Saints, Raiders, or Bears. Dak Prescotts new bumper deal rules Dallas out, while it seems increasingly likely that Drew Brees will return for one final ride with the Saints. That leaves us with the Raiders and Bears. Chicago make the most sense. The only way for the Bears to improve this offseason is to trade for a game-changing quarterback, either Wilson or Watson. The Bears have two paths heading into 2021: they land a franchise-altering quarterback and are a playoff team with holes on the roster; or they improve marginally at quarterback either with Mitchell Trubisky developing or by landing another option in free agency and they fall short again. Its impractical for Chicago to think their defense can hold up at a high level for another season. Wilson knows how quickly elite defenses age. Theyre great, then they stink. A good defense is never as a reliable as a good offense: a defense requires 20 talented players, an excellent scheme and a savvy play-caller; an offense can thrive with a great quarterback and a couple of talented pieces. There are very few deals that the Bears should turn down. Hand over the roster sheet, ask the Seahawks what they want, and include whatever picks are needed to flesh out the deal. Put the pressure on Seattle to turn it down and on Wilson to say yes or no. Has this offseason noise been hot air? Are the Wilson comments and leaks about airing grievances, about politics, about public relations? Or is he really looking for a change of scenery and a better shot to win an MVP and a championship? The Bears are the ones who can force the issue. Its a small window, but its one the Bears and Wilson should both try to take advantage of. Wilson has spent much of his career as a polished professional. On a team that was infamously loud and outspoken a loudness encouraged by the coach he was the quiet one, to the point where his teammates questioned his motives. Now, in the era of quarterback empowerment, when Watson is talking of early retirement to force Houstons hand and Matthew Stafford was able to force a move out of Detroit, Wilson has a chance to make his move. For a man who cares so much about his legacy, how he leaves a place appears to be essential. Its why hes playing footsie with other teams while Watson chose to hit the burn-it-all-down button. To force a move out of Seattle, Wilson may have to follow Watsons lead. Will he? Russell Wilson surprised the NFL world when he listed the Chicago Bears as a preferred destination if the Seahawks were to trade him. Apparently, the interest is very much mutual. According to a report in the Chicago Tribune, the Bears have prioritized making a run at Wilson as they attempt to complete a decades-long search for a franchise quarterback. The report noted that the other teams Wilson listed as preferred landing spots the Cowboys, Saints and Raiders all have circumstances that would make a trade difficult. The Cowboys are expected to re-sign Dak Prescott, and the Raiders have publicly supported Derek Carr. The Saints may be in the market for a quarterback, but are currently projected to be about $50 million over the cap (though they have maneuvered the cap effortlessly in years past). The question would be what the Bears would have to offer. After making the playoffs at 8-8 in 2020, they ended up with the No. 20 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Its not exactly a premier pick, though they could package it together with future first-rounders, or keep the 2021 pick and simply offer future picks if Seattle wants to bet on Chicago having a worse record in future years. Seattle would also need a quarterback to replace Wilson, another area in which the Bears lag behind his other destinations. The Cowboys could tag-and-trade Dak Prescott, while the Saints could do the same for Jameis Winston. The Raiders have Carr and Marcus Mariota under contract. As the Bears chase Russell Wilson, could they be interested in dealing Khalil Mack? Getty ImagesChicago does have Nick Foles, who could be at least a backup for the Seahawks, who are committed to being a run-first team. That said, Chicago averaged 2.8 yards per carry with Foles under center. The trump card the Bears may have is the number of quality defensive players they have under contract. With Seattles stated desire to run the ball, they may look to improve a defense that finished 16th in DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) in 2020. Seattle announced on Thursday that it is releasing Carlos Dunlap, whom the team traded for in 2020 and who logged five sacks with the team. The move saves them $14 million in cap space, which would leave them with cap flexibility to make a run at Khalil Mack, arguably the leagues best edge rusher. Chicago also has a number of other stars under contract, including Kyle Fuller, Akiem Hicks and Eddie Jackson. Linebacker Roquan Smith turned in an All-Pro season in 2020 and could replace K.J. Wright, should he not return to the team in free agency. Rookie cornerback Jaylon Johnson also turned in a promising season. Both are under a rookie contract. If the Bears do trade for Wilson, theyll likely have to dangle a combination of first-round picks, mid-round picks and defensive players. But if reports are correct, Seattle will be willing to listen.

###CLAIM: he said the letter pointed to a larger writ large problem in the american housing system, where most residents are rent-a-home. ###DOCS: You can add rogue landlords to the list of potentially sinister characters, along with far-right Proud Boys, Boogaloos, and militia members, looming over one of the most fraught elections in American history. Two weeks before Election Day, voters in New York and Colorado received letters from their landlords. Democratic candidates were sure to raise taxes, the landlords warned in the letters, and it would be a shame if those candidates won and the landlords had to, say, jack up rent. While election security experts sound alarms about partisan poll watchers potentially intimidating voters, letters from landlords represent a grayer area of voter-influence. The letters received by renters this week never explicitly threaten to raise rents if they vote Democratic: they just heavily imply it could happen. Its a probably-legal tactic adding more pressure to a tinderbox of an election cycle. I would equate receiving this letter from my landlord to my boss sending me a letter telling me who to vote for, John Gordon, a renter in Plattsburgh, New York, who received a letter pushing a vote for an ex-cop Republican candidate for mayor, told The Daily Beast. Meanwhile, residents of a Fort Morgan, Colorado, trailer park received a letter on Monday warning of a possible rent hike if Democrats won the presidency. TO ALL TENANTS, read the letter, first reported by local NBC affiliate 9News. Please understand IF Joe Biden is elected as our next President, everything you do and have to pay for will change completely. Do you know something we should about election intimidation, or are you receiving threats or other election-related messages yourself? Email Kelly.Weill@TheDailyBeast.com or securely at kellyweill@protonmail.com from a non-work device. Everything will be increased. Like paying ALOT (sic) more in taxes, utilities, gasoline, groceries, new permits, fees and regulations...everything! This also means YOUR RENT will be increased to cover these expenses. Most likely, rent would DOUBLE in price! IF the current President is re-elected, WE WILL NOT RAISE THE RENT FOR AT LEAST 2 YEARS! Voting is your choice and we are not telling you how to vote. We are just informing our tenants what WE will do according to the election results. If Trump wins, we all win. If Biden wins, we all lose. VOTE on November 3, 2020.The letter was signed by the owner of the trailer park, Bernie Pagel, who did not return a request for comment. A Twitter account under Pagels name tweeted a similar message last month. The account has been a prolific Trump supporter since at least 2016, when it posted pictures of large Trump signs in a trailer park. On Facebook, Pagel posted pictures of the same signs. Tenants who received the letter told 9News that they were alarmed by what they interpreted as voter intimidation. I mean everybody was pretty shocked, honestly, resident Cindy Marquez told the outlet. It was mainly hurtful, you know? How could someone say something like that or basically threaten us according to something that we cant control?She added that her family lives paycheck to paycheck, and barely makes ends meet. A massive rent increase could displace the family, she said. The same day the Marquez family received their letter, Gordon and his fellow renters in Plattsburgh received a similar letter from their landlord, WCAX first reported. The letter did not concern the presidential election, but the citys mayoral contest, also on Nov. 3. Landlords warned that, should the Democratic mayoral candidate win, eventually they will have to raise taxes to recoup losses where most business people will have to choose to absorb the increase or in our case, raise rents. WE dont want that to happen!The letter added that we strongly encourage you to consider voting for the Republican candidate, a retired Plattsburgh Police lieutenant. Neither of the two landlords who listed their email addresses on the letter returned requests for comment. Gordon said the letter read like an attempt to pressure him into a Republican vote. I cannot say whether the intent was to intimidate or not, he told The Daily Beast. However, it is my opinion that the intention is irrelevant. The letter makes a clear association between voting for a preferred candidate and the issue of whether or not rents are raised. Rent increases are entirely a business decision on the part of the landlord; they would not be forced to take any action based on the election outcomes. It would be a choice made by the landlord.The Colorado and New York letters are not the first time landlords have been accused of putting their thumbs on the scale for their preferred candidates in recent years. Last year, a reporter at an Idaho newspaper received one such letter from his landlord, implying that rents could go up according to the results of a local election. The landlord then told renters his preferred votes on two upcoming ballot measures, a move one legal scholar called a possible veiled threat.That said, election law experts in Idaho said the letter was probably legal. And a New York legal expert told WCAX that the letter Gordon received probably did not count as voter intimidation, and could more accurately be classed as electioneering or persuasive speech.Richard Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine, came to a similar conclusion when asked whether the letters in both Colorado and New York violated laws against voter intimidation. I do not believe that such laws would apply unless there was a threat as in: if you dont vote for X, your rent will go up, Hasen told The Daily Beast. Gordon, who is currently running as an independent for a city council seat, is also the chair of the Plattsburgh Tenants Advocacy Association. He said the letter points to larger problems in the citywhere most residents are rentersand in the American housing system writ large. This letter is yet another expression of that disproportionate power that landlords enjoy in local politics, he said.

###CLAIM: certain older residents are restricted by state rules from getting a shot at an independant pharmacy like his. ###DOCS: In a city scrambling to vaccinate people against Covid-19 as quickly as possible, Ambar Keluskar faced a problem this month that seemed to defy logic: Mr. Keluskar, a pharmacist in Brooklyn, struggled to find people to take the 200 doses he had on hand. They were just sitting in the freezer, he said. State rules restricted who could get shots at independent pharmacies like his to certain older residents, and fewer and fewer people seemed to be scheduling appointments. The problem was even more vexing because his pharmacy, Rossi Pharmacy, draws many customers from East New York, a community hit hard by the pandemic and where the vaccination rate lags behind other parts of New York City. Mr. Keluskars pharmacy spent hundreds of dollars on Facebook advertisements to let people know he had available doses. He asked community leaders to spread the word. Then he decided to try a different way to reach people who may otherwise be overlooked: Instead of waiting for them to come to the pharmacy, he would take his doses to them.

###CLAIM: saudi arabia imposed a production ban after saying that a large haul of illegal stimulant product captagon had been found stuffed inside an apple. ###DOCS: BEIRUT, April 27 (Reuters) - Security forces announced the detention of a suspected drug smuggler at Beirut airport on Tuesday, a day after Lebanon pledged to crack down on the crime to persuade Saudi Arabia to lift its ban on Lebanese fruit and vegetables. Saudi Arabia imposed the produce ban last week after saying it had seized a large haul of the illegal stimulant Captagon stuffed inside pomegranates coming from Lebanon. It said such smuggling was on the rise. Other Gulf Arab states have issued statements in support of the Saudi ban, raising fears in Lebanon, which faces an unprecedented economic crisis, that they may follow suit. read moreThe Beirut airport security forces said the detained man was trying to smuggle 11 kg of cocaine into the country on a Qatar Airways fight from Brazil. Reporting by Laila Bassam; additional reporting by Nayera Abdallah in Cairo; editing by Philippa FletcherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

###CLAIM: the 21-year-old's eyebrow-wiggling went viral after the moment was caught and now joins the ranks of gigi, hadid, kate moss, gisele and alek and wek. ###DOCS: Kamala Harris' stepdaughter Ella Emhoff has signed with IMG Models after an eye-catching appearance at the January 20 inauguration. Emhoff, 21, is the daughter of Harris' husband Doug Emhoff and his first wife Kerstin, a film producer. A fine art student at the Parsons School of Design in New York City, specializing in textiles, Emhoff had been in talks with the agency since her stepmother's career pushed her into the spotlight. Her Miu Miu coat and viral eyebrow-wiggling at Mike Pence sealed the deal: before inauguration day she had about 50,000 followers on Instagram, and a week later the total had surpassed 300,000. Ella Emhoff, pictured next to her father Doug at the inauguration, has signed with IMG ModelsThe 21-year-old's eyebrow wiggle at Pence went viral after the moment was caught on cameraEmhoff now joins the ranks of Gigi Hadid, Kate Moss, Gisele Bundchen and Alek Wek. Her signing comes a day that of Amanda Gorman, the 22-year-old youth poet laureate who performed at the inauguration. 'It's not really about shape, size or gender any more,' said Ivan Bart, the president of IMG Models. 'Ella communicates this moment in time. There's a cheekiness and a joy she exudes.' He said his response to seeing her at the inauguration was: 'Wow, she's communicating fashion.' Emhoff, with her unconventional looks and 18 tattoos - among them a cow, a vase, and bacon and eggs, plus several she did herself during lockdown - said the approach from Bart took her back, even though she had been dabbling in modelling for a smaller agent. 'I was pretty surprised when everything with IMG was happening because when I was younger, I never saw that as being part of my timeline,' she told The New York Times. 'As someone who, like a lot of young girls out there, had self-confidence issues, it is intimidating and scary to go into this world that is hyper-focused on you and the body.' Amanda Gorman, the youth poet laureate, pictured at the inauguration, also signed with IMGGisele Bundchen (left) and Gigi Hadid are among the famous faces to be part of the IMG lineupShe said she was encouraged by the diversity of models working today, and the opportunity to be 'part of that change'. Bart told the paper he noticed Emhoff a fundraiser for Harris during the presidential primaries. Emhoff joins Alek Wek at IMG Models'I noticed her as soon as she walked in the door,' he said. He said that, during the summer, they began talking about the possibility of her joining IMG. They had a Zoom call, and she showed him her loom and some of her knitwear pieces. Emhoff has spoken frequently of her strong family unit, with her brother Cole, 26, parents and Harris - who she refers to as 'Momala, the world's greatest stepmom.' The siblings, named after jazz legends John Coltrane and Ella Fitzgerald, call their father Doug. Before the inauguration, she told The New York Times she hoped her father would take up knitting, 'like I do.' Her mother tweeted the news of her IMG deal, saying: 'Very proud (but nervous) MAMA! Ella will stay true to her cheeky self with all of our support.' Emhoff said: 'I've obviously got a bigger platform now, and I'm excited to share a lot of things I really care about, and do some good.' She said she was 'excited to do things like wear fun clothes' and 'to bring a bit of Bushwick into the high fashion realm'. She also hoped to fundraise for knitwear artists. 'There are a lot of people out there that need a lot of help,' she said. 'If I can do anything to help with that, I want to, and I think this opportunity will be really beneficial toward that.' Where the rest of us saw the relief of the (sort of) peaceful transition of power at Joe Bidens inauguration last week, IMG Models saw an opportunity for a shopping spree. The agency, which boasts such names as Karlie Kloss, Alek Wek, and the Sisters Hadid, scooped up not one but two new faces for its lineup following the Jan. 20 ceremony. * First was Amanda Gorman, the poet laureate, bestselling author, and recent college grad, who left something in all of our eyes during her powerful reading. Second was Ella Emhoff, the stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala (Momala, to Ella) Harris. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFar be it from me to criticize any young woman whos gainfully employed in this economy. But there is something ... frustrating about the way Emhoffs deal has been conveyed and celebrated. It is not so much that Emhoff signed a modeling contract that doesnt sit well with me (though that has teed up some critics) as it is the packaging of her so-called unique arrival to the scene. The contract feels like an annoying finale for the cooing, image-focused narrative that took off as soon as she appeared alongside her stepmom in that dashing Miu Miu coat of hers. AdvertisementAdvertisementThis is how the New York Times heralded the news, in a disturbingly fawning piece that reads like an ad for Ella, the Future of Fashion:Ms. Emhoff throws a crocheted grenade at the image of typical D.C. political offspring, with a style that could be termed Wes Anderson chic. In her selfies, she doesnt wear much makeup and doesnt carefully blow-dry her naturally curly hair. She shows off her armpit hair and cartoonish tattoos, which include eggs and bacon in the shape of a smiley face and a cow. Armpit hair! Bare face! Tattoos! AdvertisementTo those ensconced in body diversity movements or, truly, any kind of culture not defined by those who are white and wealthy, these details do little to inspire. Twentysomething inked Brooklynites have been the thing du jour for many jours now. Numerous media figures already sport all kinds of tats, shirk shaving, and play with traditional markers of femininity. Emhoff is just the latest to be noted for her deviation from the crumbling norms of makeup and body hair, following in the steps of women like Alicia Keys and Cara Delevingne, and others who go farther back still. *AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut the other thing that bothers me here is that Emhoffa tall, thin, white womanis actually an extremely traditional model. That she gets credit for not blow-drying her naturally curly hair and is lauded as not typical D.C. political offspring for adopting a Bushwick aesthetic feels slightly absurd. Remember that two little Black girls (with relaxed hair, a reminder of who gets praised for being natural) entered the White House back in 2008. None of this is Emhoffs fault. She is a college senior with a documented love for fashion. Who could blame her for jumping at the chance to be a model? For women of a certain age, shows like Americas Next Top Model convinced us that this was a job we actually wanted. The growing influencer economy now makes the model life seem more attractive and attainable, too. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIts the ignorance of outlets like the Timesand figureheads like Ivan Bart, IMG Models presidentin failing to acknowledge how Emhoff does actually fit into that stereotypical model mold that chafes. The Times quotes Bart on bringing Emhoff on board: Its not really about shape, size, or gender anymore. Ella communicates this moment in time. Theres a cheekiness and a joy she exudes.Cheeky and joyful she may be, but her shape, size, and gender fit squarely into age-old notions of who gets to define whats fashionable. And lets remember that she is the daughter of the second gentleman, a former lawyer and now the husband to the most powerful woman in America. That means Emhoff is able to afford the expensive Parsons education that gives her time to indulge her own fashion design projects, just like she was able to afford the expensive coat that turned heads at the inauguration. AdvertisementAdvertisementAgencies like IMG do their best to dance around how these privileges play into high-profile hires like Emhoff, even as they blatantly commodify the excitement around a new presidential administration. Emhoff does seem like a funny, talented woman with a knack for personal style. (Her hair? Love it.) But when the media offers long odes to why Emhoff is such a significant, barrier-breaking addition to the fashion industry, they perpetuate and resubstantiate the same problems that keep folks like Emhoff in and the rest of us out. The vice presidents stepdaughter is going into modeling. On Thursday, IMG Models announced that it is now representing Ella Emhoff, Vice President Kamala Harris stepdaughter. Emhoff, 21, is a senior at Parsons School of Design in New York City, where she studies fine arts, focusing on textiles, according to The New York Times. Her style was especially noticed at President Joe Bidens inauguration last week, where she wore a Miu Miu coat that went viral. VOGUE OFFERS DIGITAL KAMALA HARRIS COVER AS A PRINT COPY AFTER SOCIAL MEDIA BACKLASH"What she wore and who she was that day was in line with the person I met," IMG Models President Ivan Bart told The Times. "Thats why everyone noticed her." However, Bart said Emhoff first caught his eye much earlier, at a fundraiser for Harris during the presidential primaries. Bart and Emoff began discussing the possibility of Emhoff joining IMG last summer. FORMER FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMAS OUTFIT EARNS PRAISE ON TWITTER AS BEST LOOK OF THE INAUGURATION"I was pretty surprised when everything with IMG was happening because when I was younger, I never saw that as being part of my timeline," Emhoff told The Times. Though she said modeling seems intimidating, the industry is also changing to include more diversity. Emhoff told The Times that shes excited to use her new platform to "share a lot of things I really care about, and do some good." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPBart also told The Times that modeling has shifted its focus more on authenticity. "Its not really about shape, size or gender any more," he said. "Ella communicates this moment in time. Theres a cheekiness and a joy she exudes." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTEREmhoff has already had some modeling appearances with a smaller agent, according to The Times. However, IMG Models is a big step up. Some of the agencys models include Karlie Kloss, Ashley Graham, Gisele Bundchen and Gigi and Bella Hadid. IMG Models announced that Emhoff would be joining its ranks just two days after the modeling agency said it had signed another star of the inauguration: Amanda Gorman, the youngest Inaugural poet.

###CLAIM: let's be clear, harry was a complex man who was given to acts of compassion and kindness, but had a strong sense of justice and natural charity. ###DOCS: AdvertisementDowning Street said Boris Johnson has 'full confidence' in Cabinet Secretary Simon Case (pictured) amid claims he was told about bullying allegations against the Duchess of Sussex in 2018Boris Johnson has 'full confidence' in Cabinet Secretary Simon Case amid claims he was told about bullying allegations against the Duchess of Sussex in 2018, Downing Street said today. The PM's spokesman signalled support following reports that Mr Case, formerly the Duke of Cambridge's private secretary, had been aware of the accusations. Buckingham Palace has now launched an investigation into claims that the Duchess bullied former royal staff - something she vehemently denies. Asked whether Mr Johnson was concerned about claims that Mr Case had covered up allegations of bullying, the spokesman said: 'It is a matter for the Palace.' But pressed on whether Mr Johnson had confidence in his senior official, the spokesman said: 'Yes, he does.' The Prime Minister's press secretary Allegra Stratton said Mr Johnson and Mr Case wrote to Government ministers last year in the wake of the Priti Patel row making it clear there was 'no place for bullying' in government. Asked whether that extended to public life more broadly, she said: 'The particular case you are talking about is a matter for the palace.' Today new claims emerged that royal staff say they are members of the 'Sussex Survivors' Club' after working for the couple, with some claiming they have suffered post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety because of their treatment by Harry and Meghan. And senior palace sources said aides are 'incandescent' the Sussexes claimed they were orchestrating a 'smear campaign' against the Duchess. One told the Mirror: 'It is totally disingenuous, frankly ludicrous and wholly untrue to suggest anyone at the Palace has been peddling disinformation and has been briefing on these matters. There are far, far more important things going on right now than the circus surrounding a media appearance'. Meghan and Harry were today accused of being disrespectful to the Queen and her husband after it emerged they won't delay the release of their Oprah Winfrey interview despite Prince Philip's health problems. In a new teaser clip Meghan is seen accusing the Royal Family of 'perpetuating falsehoods' about her and Harry. Ramping up her war of words with the royals, the Duchess of Sussex calls her husband's family 'The Firm' in the 30-second trailer released by CBS today and blames them for speaking out in a show set to be watched by millions around the globe. The couple are under huge pressure to ask Ms Winfrey to delay the broadcast in the US on Sunday night and across the world on Monday after it was revealed Harry's 99-year-old grandfather underwent heart surgery yesterday. Critics including several MPs have warned them they are 'badly advised' to go along with the plan - but the couple insist that it is up to CBS, who don't have 'any intention' to delay the show set to make them millions of dollars in sales and advertising revenue. She played a key role in preparations for Meghan and Harry's wedding in May 2018, but quit after just six months. The Frenchwoman, 41, took a job with the billionaire Livingstone family owners of the stately home Cliveden. THE AMERICAN SPIN DOCTOR: Jason Knauf joined the royals in 2014, having acted as a 'crisis management expert' at the Royal Bank of Scotland. The 36- year-old American, who completed his master's at the London School of Economics, served as communications secretary to the 'Fab Four' of William, Kate, Harry and Meghan before the Cambridges and Sussexes created separate offices in March 2019. Mr Knauf now heads William and Kate's charitable foundation. THE AMERICAN SPIN DOCTOR: Jason Knauf (left) walks behind the couple at the Invictus Games in Toronto Simon Case in Dundee in 2019 THE WHIZ-KID WHO RUNS WHITEHALL: Simon Case became the youngest head of the civil service for over a century when he took the post at the tender age of 41. The Cambridge history graduate a noted fan of tweed suits and Barbour jackets had previously been the principal private secretary to successive Tory prime ministers, David Cameron and Theresa May. He also worked at spying centre GCHQ as a 'director of strategy'. His most recent role before becoming Cabinet Secretary last year was serving as private secretary to Prince William. THE TOUGH TALKING AUSTRALIAN: Formerly the Queen's assistant private secretary, Samantha Cohen had planned to quit Buckingham Palace in 2018. Instead, she agreed to stay on and help the duchess through her first months in the Royal Family. The well-liked but tough-talking Australian became the Sussexes' private secretary, but left in 2019 to work for the environmental charity Cool Earth. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Queen Elizabeth II (accompanied by Samantha Cohen) attend a ceremony to open the new Mersey Gateway Bridge on June 14, 2018 in Widnes, England THE PRINCES' HR HEAD HONCHO: Experienced human resources director Samantha Carruthers worked for De Beers and investment bank Lazard before joining the royals. Head of HR for Prince Charles and Prince William until 2019, she is now deputy chairman of the board of trustees for child bereavement charity Winston's Wish. Samantha Carruthers worked for De Beers and investment bank Lazard before joining the royal AdvertisementA source close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex today confirmed that the screening on Sunday night is still expected to go ahead, claiming the decision now lies with the broadcasters set to make millions from the two-hour show. 'There are a lot of people who are going to talk about this until the programme airs, but the programming and all the rest of it is ultimately up to CBS, we're not involved in that side of things', the source said, adding: 'As it stands, I don't think there is any intention from the programme maker to change its air date'. There is growing anger over the broadcast going ahead, with royal experts, fans and MPs calling for its postponement. Tory MP Bob Blackman told MailOnline: 'The reality is I don't think the interview is appropriate at all. The less they say the better, irrespective of the state of health of the Duke of Edinburgh. But to be doing a tell-all interview screened in the UK when he is in hospital fortunately he appears to have had a successful operation they are badly advised to put it mildly. None of these royal interviews have gone well... and I can't see this going any better.' Mr Blackman said ITV has 'got a choice to make'. 'I don't think they should be showing it,' he said. 'Everyone's sympathies should be for the Queen, a remarkable lady who has given a lifetime of service.' Another Tory MP, who did not want to be named, said of Harry and Meghan: 'One day I hope those two discover what it is really like to have problems.' In a clip set to dramatic music, Ms Winfrey asks her: 'How do you feel about the Palace hearing you speak your truth today?' And an emotional Meghan replies: 'I don't know how they could expect that after all of this time we would still just be silent if there is an active role that The Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us'. The Duchess adds: 'And, if that comes with risk of losing things, there is a lot that has been lost already.' It is not known what 'falsehoods' Meghan is talking about because the interview was recorded before she was accused of 'driving out' two PAs and shattering the confidence of another member of Kensington Palace staff - with one former aide branding Prince Harry and his wife 'outrageous bullies' in The Times yesterday. She denies the allegations. Hours after she made the claims, Buckingham Palace revealed the Duke of Edinburgh has undergone a 'successful procedure for a pre-existing heart condition' and will remain in hospital for 'treatment, rest and recuperation for a number of days'. Prince Philip, 99, had the operation yesterday at St Bartholomew's Hospital in the City of London, where he was transferred to on Monday after spending 14 days at King Edward VII Hospital in Marylebone due to an infection. Harry's grandfather's ill health will again increase calls for the couple to postpone its broadcast on CBS in the US on Sunday and on ITV1 in the UK on Monday. Meghan Markle will talk about her experience of race issues in Britain during her interview with Oprah Winfrey. And in dramatic promotional clips released on Monday, Miss Winfrey is seen asking Meghan if she was 'silent or silenced', with the duchess' answer not revealed. In response to a comment by the duchess, the presenter says: 'Almost unsurvivable. Sounds like there was a breaking point?' At one point in the trailer, Miss Winfrey tells viewers: 'Just to make it clear to everybody, there is no subject that is off-limits,' as Meghan nods in agreement. The clip then cuts to Harry, 36, in a grey suit and white shirt with no tie, as he says: 'My biggest fear was history repeating itself.' The teaser then shows Harry and Meghan sitting side by side holding hands as Miss Winfrey says: 'You have said some pretty shocking things here'. In a second clip, also set to dramatic music, Prince Harry compares his mother's situation to the one he says he and Meghan found themselves in. As he speaks, a picture is shown of him with his mother when he was a little boy. 'For me, I'm just really relieved and happy to be sitting here talking to you with my wife by my side, because I can't begin to imagine what it must have been like for her going through this process by herself all those years ago because it's been unbelievably tough for the two of us. But at least we have each other,' he says. Today's clip with Meghan's views on 'The Firm' came as Buckingham Palace announced they will launch an investigation into allegations that Markle bullied royal aides. The Queen launched the unprecedented inquiry into allegations that Meghan and Harry bullied their staff - leaving royal employees 'shaken' by 'unhappy memories' being brought up about a 'toxic period'. Devastating claims that the Duchess of Sussex inflicted 'emotional cruelty' on underlings and 'drove them out' were 'very' concerning, Buckingham Palace said. She denies being a bully. It came as a royal insider scotched hopes they could one day return for royal events such as Trooping the Colour, saying: 'I can't ever see those two back on the balcony.' Buckingham Palace has released more details about how the royal family will celebrate the Commonwealth in a special programme to be screened just hours before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Oprah interview in the US. The palace said: 'In Her Majesty's annual Commonwealth Day message, the Queen will pay tribute to the way in which communities across the family of nations have come together in response to the pandemic.' A Celebration for Commonwealth Day will be broadcast on BBC One at 5pm on Sunday March 7 - a few hours before Meghan and Harry's sit-down with Oprah is shown. The Prince of Wales has recorded a message for the programme addressing 'the universal devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic'. Prince Charles will also celebrate the 'critical work' being carried out by nations across the Commonwealth to combat climate change and protect its unique landscapes, marine environments and biodiversity. Harry and his wife were both labelled 'outrageous bullies', according to sensational claims reported yesterday. 'Broken' royal aides told of feeling humiliated, 'sick', 'terrified', left 'shaking' with fear, and being reduced to tears by the duchess. The Duchess of Sussex is accused of 'driving out' two PAs and shattering the confidence of another member of Kensington Palace staff - with one former aide branding Prince Harry and his wife 'outrageous bullies' in The Times on Wednesday. It also claimed the monarchy's 'men in gray suits' were aware of the purported actions of the duchess - but did 'absolutely nothing to protect people'. Meghan has denied the allegations and accused the newspaper of being 'used by Buckingham Palace to peddle a wholly false narrative' about her. Royal officials initially refused to comment, with sources telling MailOnline that aides and senior family members are focused on Prince Philip's health problems in hospital. But on Wednesday night, the Palace confirmed that its HR team will 'look into' the allegations, saying it 'does not and will not tolerate bullying or harassment in the workplace'. A spokesman said: 'We are clearly very concerned about allegations in The Times following claims made by former staff of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. 'Accordingly our HR team will look into the circumstances outlined in the article. 'Members of staff involved at the time, including those who have left the Household, will be invited to participate to see if lessons can be learned. 'The Royal Household has had a Dignity at Work policy in place for a number of years and does not and will not tolerate bullying or harassment in the workplace.' The bullying claims emerged in a 2018 email sent by Harry and Meghan's press chief Jason Knauf, who now works for Prince William. This sparked an extraordinary chain of events where the Sussexes accused Buckingham Palace of smearing them. The Queen then launched an inquiry into the bullying claimsA royal source told the Daily Mail last night that the emergence of the bullying claims yesterday had 'shaken' many staff, both past and present, and brought up 'many unhappy memories' about a particularly 'toxic period'. There is no timetable to the investigation but it is understood that any changes in policies and procedures will be shared publicly in an annual review expected later in the year. Meghan said The Times is being 'used by Buckingham Palace to peddle a wholly false narrative based on misleading and harmful misinformation' about her treatment of staff after former aides accused her of 'emotional cruelty and manipulation', reducing them to tears and leaving them 'shaking' with fear. Her lawyers said the former actress was 'saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma'. Jason Knauf - the Sussexes' then communications secretary who now heads the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's charitable foundation - made a bullying complaint in October 2018 in an apparent attempt to force Buckingham Palace to protect staff. A source told the newspaper Harry begged his senior aide not to take the matter further, but it also reported lawyers for the duke and duchess deny the meeting took place and that Harry would not have interfered with staff matters. Knauf reportedly sent an email outlining the duchess's alleged actions to Simon Case - the Duke of Cambridge's then private secretary and now the cabinet secretary - after conversations with Samantha Carruthers, the head of human resources. Case then forwarded it to Carruthers, who was based at Clarence House. The Times reported Knauf wrote in his email: 'I am very concerned that the duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year. The treatment of X was totally unacceptable. 'The duchess seems intent on always having someone in her sights. 'She is bullying Y and seeking to undermine her confidence. Meghan Markle wore a pair of striking diamond earrings that were allegedly a wedding gift from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. She is pictured wearing them at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, Fiji, on October 23, 2018, three weeks after the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul'We have had report after report from people who have witnessed unacceptable behavior towards Y.' Knauf also made clear he was concerned nothing had been done, or would be done in future, to protect palace staff. He said Carruthers 'agreed with me on all counts that the situation was very serious', but added: 'I remain concerned that nothing will be done'. Melissa Touabti, the second of Meghan's personal assistants to leave, departed six months after the royal wedding after she ended up in tears, according to reports. Lawyers for the duke and duchess said the Sussexes believed staff to be comfortable and happy. Kensington Palace had said at the time of the formal dinner in Fiji in October 2018 - which took place three weeks after the killing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul - that the jewellery was 'borrowed', without stating from whom. Lawyers for the Duchess of Sussex have now told The Times that she may have stated they were borrowed, but did not say they were borrowed from a jeweler - and denied that she had misled anyone about their provenance. The newspaper was also told by Meghan's team that every relevant member of royal staff knew who the earrings were from, and the duchess was unaware of rumours at the time that bin Salman was involved in the killing. Bin Salman is not thought to have met Meghan or given her the earrings in person. The jewellery is considered Crown property because it was a gift from a foreign head of state, and she would not be allowed to sell them. The earrings Meghan wore for the black tie reception at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva, which was hosted by Fiji's president Jioji Konrote, were later revealed as being made by celebrity designer Butani. AdvertisementThe article came as ITV1 confirmed the ViacomCBS show, called Oprah With Meghan and Harry, will be broadcast in the UK between 9pm and 11pm on Monday night, almost 24 hours after it is shown in the United States. Staff told The Times they have spoken out to give their story before the couple's tell-all interview, claiming that when Meghan was urged to support palace staff she replied: 'It's not my job to coddle people.' It is also claimed that the couple's treatment of aides worried Harry's brother William so much, because some staff were shared, that he and his most senior advisor, Case, hastened the split between the Sussex and the Cambridge households and the destruction of their joint foundation. Other extraordinary revelations in The Times include claims Meghan wore a pair of 500,000 diamond earrings to a dinner in Fiji in 2018 that were a wedding gift from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, three weeks after the US claims he approved the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. And in a further twist Markle, a campaigner for women's rights, told aides they were borrowed from a jeweler, rather than a present from a regime known for human rights abuses and the oppression of women. Lawyers for the Duchess of Sussex have told The Times that she may have stated they were borrowed, but did not say they were borrowed from a jeweller - and denied that she had misled anyone about their provenance. The newspaper claims that on the same official tour the duchess was seen being ushered out of an official engagement to a local market due to apparent security concerns. In fact, it says, Meghan had cut short the visit because she had 'reservations' about the organization UN Women, which had an involvement in the event. Daily Mail Royal Editor witnessed the aftermath and wrote today: 'I was there at the time and witnessed Meghan turn and 'hiss' at a member of her entourage, clearly incandescent with rage about something, and demand to leave. 'I later saw that same female highly distressed member of staff sitting in an official car, with tears running down her face. Our eyes met and she lowered hers, humiliation etched on her features'. Describing life working for Meghan and Harry, aides have claimed they 'bent over backwards' to help her when she arrived after the couple became engaged in 2017. A source told The Times: 'Everyone knew that the institution would be judged by her happiness'. According to the Times their sources say two 'senior' members of royal staff were bullied by the duchess. An ex-employee alleged they had been 'humiliated'. Another aide described the experience of working for the Sussexes as 'more like emotional cruelty and manipulation, which I guess could also be called bullying'. Staff claimed they had occasion been reduced to tears after dealings with Meghan and one aide told a colleague 'I can't stop shaking' as they anticipated a row with the duchess. Meghan's lawyers vehemently deny she is a bully and said that one person had left the job because of misconduct. The Times said it could not corroborate that claim before publication earlier this week. The Mail also approached a spokesman for the Sussexes for comment. The Times said it was contacted by sources who felt a 'partial version' had emerged of Meghan's two years as a working royal. It makes clear they wished to tell their side in advance of Sunday's 'tell all' television interview, which is likely to make uncomfortable viewing for Buckingham Palace. A spokesman for the Sussexes said in a statement to The Times: 'Let's just call this what it is - a calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful misinformation'. Insiders told The Times that despite Knauf's intervention nothing was done to investigate the situation or to protect staff from bullying from senior royals in the future. One source told The Times: 'I think the problem is, not much happened with it. It was, 'How can we make this go away? ', rather than addressing it'. Omid Scobie, author of the Finding Freedom biography of the Sussexes, quoted a series of Meghan's friends standing up for her in a report for Harper's Bazaar. One friend said Meghan was another example of a 'woman of colour in a senior position... accused of being too angry, too scary, too whatever in the workplace'. The author was also told Meghan and her husband Prince Harry have found the claims 'distressing and upsetting', and that she is always 'kind and considerate'. Omid Scobie, royal editor at large for Harper's Bazaar and author of the Finding Freedom biography of the Sussexes, quoted a series of Meghan's friends who have stood up for herMeghan is pictured during her interview with Oprah Winfrey set to air on ITV next MondayOmid Scobie: Harper's Bazaar royal editor who left Heat after allegedly being called a 'P**i' Omid Scobie started his career on the celebrity magazine Heat before moving on to cover the royals. He is now royal editor at large for Harper's Bazaar. Born to a Scottish father who runs a marketing agency and an Iranian mother who works in child welfare, he said he left Heat after an executive is alleged to have called him a 'P**i'. He is a royal contributor for Good Morning America and host of ABC's royal podcast, 'The Heir Pod'. Mr Scobie has boasted of his exclusive access to Prince Harry and Meghan. Mr Scobie is co-author of Finding Freedom, a biography about Harry and Meghan He is described in the blurb for the Sussexes biography Finding Freedom as 'an authoritative voice on the lives and philanthropic endeavors of the Royal Family's younger members and maintains strong access to the Sussexes' working world'. AdvertisementMr Scobie, the royal editor of Harper's Bazaar, regularly stands up for Meghan on social media and last night retweeted a series of positive messages backing her. In an article he also claims that the couple, who deny helping him with his book, 'knew that it would get ugly in the run up' before their Oprah Winfrey interview. The 'tell-all' two-hour conversation will be broadcast in the US on CBS this Sunday night at 1am UK time, before being shown in Britain on ITV on Monday from 9pm. Writing in Harper's Bazaar, Mr Scobie quotes a anonymous friend of Meghan saying: 'I hate to say it, but find me a woman of colour in a senior position who has not been accused of being too angry, too scary, too whatever in the workplace. It's sad that it's happening, but I'm not surprised. These claims are so far from the woman I know.' Another said: 'Harry and Meghan knew that it would get ugly in the run up but seeing such an obvious attempt at destroying her character was distressing and upsetting.' It comes as the Duchess said she could not be expected to stay silent if the royal family played a part in 'perpetuating falsehoods' about her and Harry. A clip of Meghan making the remarks to Oprah Winfrey was released in the early hours of today, in which the Duchess added 'a lot ... has been lost already'. The couple's interview with the US chat show queen is expected to lift the lid on their short period as working royals before they stepped down for a life in America. In the 30-second clip released on social media, Oprah asks the Duchess: 'How do you feel about the Palace hearing you speak your truth today?' She replies: 'I don't know how they could expect that, after all of this time, we would still just be silent if there is an active role that The Firm is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us. 'And, if that comes with risk of losing things, I mean, I ... there is a lot that has been lost already.' 'The Firm' is widely considered to be shorthand for the institution of the royal family. The clip was released just hours after Buckingham Palace said last night it had launched an investigation into claims that the Duchess bullied former royal staff. Past and present employees are to be invited to speak in confidence about their experiences of working for Meghan, after it was alleged she drove out two personal assistants and that staff were 'humiliated' on several occasions. The Times newspaper has reported that the duchess 'destroyed' one member of staff and another was left in tears before she departed. Meghan's lawyers have vehemently denied she is a bully. Carole Middleton, who runs party supply company Party Pieces, interviewed with the magazine in January but has reportedly asked its publishers not to promote it as Prince Philip, 99, is still in hospital. The news comes ahead of a 'tell-all' interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Oprah Winfrey which is set to air in the UK on Monday night, despite criticism of its timing. Kate Middleton's mother Carole turned down publicity for an interview in Good Housekeeping magazine because she did not want to be 'insensitive' while Prince Philip, 99, was in hospital Respectful: Carole Middleton, pictured on the cover of Good Housekeeping, discusses her business and family life in the interview which features in the April issue and is out now A source told the Sun: 'Carole is incredibly proud of her company and all the hard work that goes into it. 'But whilst backing the business, she didn't want to turn any news into a media circus because she is so respectful and sensitive to Catherine, and the royal family. 'She always gets William's go-ahead before any interview like this, and he is incredibly supportive. 'But the more the PR machine rolled out in Los Angeles with Meghan and Harry, the more sensitive Carole became. 'She decided she didn't want to do any PR for the interview - even if it cost her thousands in potential lost marketing.' In the interview, which features in the April issue and is out now, Carole shares insights into her company Party Pieces as well as her family life. She appears on the cover of the magazine wearing a 375 Seventies-inspired floral print dress from Wyse London, befitting the arrival of spring. AdvertisementRevenge of the Sussex survivors' club: The extraordinary inside story of how a fairytale turned into a nightmare of 'traumatised' staff - by Royal Editor REBECCA ENGLISH, who saw so much of it herselfIt is the one royal group that no one wants to join. Referred to only half-jokingly as the 'Sussex Survivors' Club', its membership is sadly rising. But its select band of members have one thing in common: all have worked for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and lived to tell the tale. Joking aside, some even believe they may have a form of post-traumatic stress, defined by doctors as an anxiety disorder caused by distressing or frightening events. Such experiences, of course, are now widely acknowledged not to be limited to soldiers who have undergone traumatic experiences on the battlefield, but also to people at work. Even if that work is in a palace. And today, many former palace staff look back on the moment that Prince Harry introduced to the world his beautiful, intelligent and passionate bride-to-be as the beginning of one of the most traumatic periods in their lives. Let us be clear: Harry is a complex man but one with a strong sense of natural justice and charity, given to acts of compassion and kindness. 'He wears his heart on his sleeve and genuinely wants to do good in the world,' one admirer tells me. But he is also equally capable, say those who know him well and like him, of behaving 'like an absolute brat'. It had been clear for years to anyone he came into contact with that he wasn't happy working with the palace machinery or, particularly, the British media (sometimes understandably so). He was, they say, always capable of self-destructively 'pressing the nuclear button' on his royal life. Meghan, they stress, was simply the catalyst. But the result was more toxic, more personally harmful, than anyone could ever have imagined. To begin with, however, the atmosphere at Kensington Palace was heady and exciting. Here was a glamorous couple, clearly deeply in love. Meghan was the missing piece of the jigsaw that poor, motherless Harry had been searching for all those years. Famously she once paid for an ice cream stand for her new staff at Kensington Palace, with the event later surprise! being breathlessly revealed in People, a 'pro-Sussex' American magazine, as the 'best day of work, ever'. More than that, they were a couple determined to do good on a world stage at the same time sprinkling a little stardust on Britain's 'fusty' old Royal Family. And their small team of loyal staff believed in them until, that is, the scales fell from their eyes. Notoriously, within a few weeks of Meghan's arrival in England and the announcement of the couple's engagement in November 2017, word was leaking out about the couple's 'autocratic' and 'difficult' behaviour. Occasionally it slipped into print: that Meghan (a claim robustly sourced by the Mail) had refused to wear a hat on her first official engagement with the Queen in Chester, despite being strongly advised it would be appropriate and respectful to do so. Then came the famous row over which tiara she wanted to wear to the couple's wedding, resulting in Harry publicly admonishing one of the Queen's most senior members of staff, Angela Kelly: 'What Meghan wants, Meghan gets.' There were also claims that the Duchess of Cambridge had told Meghan she shouldn't speak to her staff so dismissively and that there was so much friction at a pre-wedding bridesmaid fitting that Kate was left in tears. The Times has reported that the 'febrile' atmosphere within Kensington Palace saw staff, on occasion, weeping. Two say they were bullied by the duchess, a third that they had been 'humiliated' by her. The paper quotes one aide, who was anticipating a confrontation with Meghan, as saying: 'I can't stop shaking.' At first, my sources tell me, Harry tried to keep the peace, gently placating his wife and quietly apologising to staff. On one occasion described to me by several sources, he even gently admonished Meghan about the way she behaved with palace staff many of whom work long hours for relatively little money out of pride for the institution after a particularly explosive encounter. The details are subject to conjecture (and have become something of a palace legend) but resulted in Harry speaking to one of his close protection officers, who confirmed his fiancee's behaviour. But as the weeks went on, the prince became increasingly hostile to his once-loyal aides. Rebecca English with Prince Harry to learn about the work of his new charity Sentebale in Lesotho in 2006The Times has claimed Harry knew of a complaint made by the couple's former communications secretary, Jason Knauf, that Meghan had driven two personal assistants out of the household and was undermining the confidence of a third staff member. Harry is said to have had a meeting with Mr Knauf in which he begged him not to pursue it. The Sussexes deny this. They also describe the allegations as 'old', 'distorted' and aimed at 'undermining' Meghan. It has been suggested by others that staff may have 'misunderstood' Meghan's more direct, American style. But I have personally witnessed more than one member of staff driven to tears by the treatment they were subjected to by the duke and duchess before the couple acrimoniously quit as working royals. One person sobbed down the phone to me after a particularly harrowing day. They clearly felt emotionally broken and could no longer cope with the pressure they were being subjected to. Others have indicated to me they were being asked to behave in a manner they did not feel professionally comfortable with, particularly in their dealings with the media. Several aides have also told me that Meghan in particular was very good at 'drawing' staff into her confidence, flattering them as if they were the only person in the world she could trust and asking them to help her with various duties. Often these were things that were far beyond the scope of their normal work in one case being instructed to make plans for her father Thomas to be flown from his home in Mexico before the wedding and taken to a fully-stocked 'safe house' in LA for a few days in order to fool any waiting media. And then, when things didn't go to plan, the sun would no longer shine on them. It was made 'horribly clear' they were out of favour. Toxic, hostile, distrustful, poisonous: all words I have heard regularly used over the past few years to describe people's experiences working in the Sussexes' household. The Times reports matters became so bad that Mr Knauf, an experienced PR operator who cut his teeth defending the bank RBS at the height of its financial scandal, decided to put his strongly held concerns in writing. He made clear in October 2018, little more than six months after the couple married, that he believed the duchess had already driven two members of staff out and another was being targeted. 'I am very concerned that the duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year. The treatment of [redacted] was totally unacceptable,' he wrote. 'The duchess seems intent on always having someone in her sights. She is bullying 'Y' and seeking to undermine her confidence. We have had report after report from people who have witnessed unacceptable behaviour towards Y.' The Times has chosen not to match incidents to individual names, but the members of staff leaving the Sussexes' employment were all women and all seasoned professionals. A well-placed source said: '[One woman's] job was highly pressurised and in the end it became too much. She put up with quite a lot. Meghan put a lot of demands on her and it ended up with her in tears.' One member of staff, a seasoned professional, was initially said to have left on good terms. But I have since been told that this popular aide was deeply unhappy about her experience working for the duchess and had been 'desperate' to get out as long as she could professionally put a brave face on it. Likewise a third member of staff. Mr Knauf makes clear in his email, as reported by The Times, that he was also concerned about the couple's hugely experienced deputy private secretary, Samantha Cohen. She had worked for the Queen for more than 20 years and was personally persuaded by the monarch to stay on and help the couple navigate their first few years of royal life. He indicated that she was experiencing extreme stress and said: 'I questioned if the Household policy on bullying and harassment applies to principals [the term used to refer to a member of the royal family].' One source tells me wryly, with an eye to Meghan's much-hyped championing of female empowerment: 'Note that everyone concerned was a woman.' Another adds: 'Sam always made clear that it was like working for a couple of teenagers. They were impossible and pushed her to the limit. She was miserable.' The Times also makes reference to an incident during the couple's tour to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga in 2018, which was a particularly difficult one for all concerned, Meghan included. She was, of course, pregnant at the time. The newspaper reports how Meghan cut short a visit to a market in Fiji because she was concerned about the presence of a UN organisation promoting women, with which she had worked before and made clear she no longer wished to have anything to do with. At the time officials had suggested that it was because it was humid and the crowd was oppressive in the market. I was there at the time and witnessed Meghan turn and 'hiss' at a member of her entourage, clearly incandescent with rage about something, and demand to leave. I later saw that same female highly distressed member of staff sitting in an official car, with tears running down her face. Our eyes met and she lowered hers, humiliation etched on her features. At the time I was unable to document anything as I couldn't conclusively link the two incidents together, despite my suspicions. I have subsequently found out from other sources that my instincts were right. It should be stressed that lawyers for the duchess said she met other leaders from UN Women later on the tour and denied she left for the reason alleged. So why has this all come out now, you might ask? The Times makes clear that these aides have 'hit back' before Meghan's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey this Sunday. The newspaper says it was approached by sources because they felt 'only a partial version had emerged of Meghan's two years as a working member of the royal family and they wished to tell their side'. They were also concerned at how such matters were handled by the palace. One source put it more succinctly to me yesterday. 'Those concerned are fed up with the sheer hypocrisy of it all. The suggestion that they [the Sussexes] were being bullied and forced out when others were experiencing that very treatment at their hands!' exclaimed the source. Another insider told me they believed some staff had even sought psychological therapy over their experiences something that Harry, who moved the nation when he revealed how he had himself sought professional help to cope with the emotional fall-out over his mother's death and has long campaigned on mental health issues, should know all about. 'People have been broken by this, genuinely so. Absolutely traumatised,' I am told. Lawyers for the duchess say she wished to fit in and be accepted and had left her life in North America to commit to her new role. What a sad, sorry mess. The irony, another source says, is that no one wanted a battle. But the Sussexes have waged this war and enough is enough. Those aides who have broken the royal omerta say they refuse to sit by and watch Harry and Meghan's 'duplicitous' behaviour, especially when 'good people and brilliant professionals' are having their reputations unfairly traduced. One source warns: 'The royals cannot fight back. 'Never complain, never explain.' But they can.' A spokesman for the Sussexes has told The Times that they are the victims of a 'calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful information'. They have said the duchess is 'saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma.' Royals' Meghan 'bully' crisis: As Buckingham Palace launches an unprecedented investigation into sensational bullying claims against Meghan, make no mistake this is a crisis that echoes the Abdication, writes RICHARD KAYWhen Jason Knauf left the Treasury to go and work for RBS the bank that had been bailed out with 45 billion of taxpayers' money following the 2008 financial crisis he was dubbed 'gamekeeper turned poacher'. But his silky skills in crisis management were never tested there as they were in his next big job working for Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex. Yesterday, the quietly spoken American was revealed to have been the author of a sensational bullying complaint against former actress Meghan, which threatens a new royal crisis every bit as divisive as the War of the Waleses. That, of course, was the bitter and acrimonious battle for public sympathy waged between Princess Diana and Prince Charles throughout the 1990s. But last night the email had an even more shocking immediate effect. Stung by Meghan's astonishing statement in response to allegations of bullying that she was the victim of a 'smear' and that the newspaper that published the email was 'being used by Buckingham Palace to peddle a wholly false narrative' the Queen hit back. Announcing an inquiry into the claims about the two employees who left their jobs and a third whose confidence was said to have been undermined is an astonishing development. Never before has the Palace held a member of the Royal Family to account, and its move represents a serious blow to the Duchess's carefully curated status of victimhood. It also shows that the Queen's deep reserve of patience for her grandson, Harry, has reached a tipping point. The move was not just a result of the incendiary remarks of the Sussexes' American public relations team, but also because of the implications that the Palace could face legal action over nothing being done when the complaints were first raised. In other words, a cover-up. I also understand that individuals who fear their reputations will be damaged in the Sussexes' upcoming Oprah Winfrey TV interview have demanded the protection of the Palace. 'The Palace is taking the gravity of the situation extremely seriously,' I am told. Even to the most neutral and fair-minded of observers, the bombshell revelations coming just four days before the Oprah interview is broadcast, represent a moment of potential danger for the Royal Family. It has echoes, too, of the dramas that followed the Abdication of Edward VIII in 1936, when the Queen's father reluctantly took the throne as George VI, triggering years of hostility between the brothers and, crucially, their wives. The Queen Mother blamed, and never forgave, the Duchess of Windsor the former Wallis Simpson for the premature death of her husband. The Queen's father (pictured) reluctantly took the throne as George VI, triggering years of hostility between the brothers and, crucially, their wivesJust who leaked Mr Knauf's 2018 email to The Times scarcely matters. Its very existence suggests an escalation in the fraught relationship between William and Harry. The reason? Mr Knauf's current job as the Duke of Cambridge's right-hand man. For more than two years he has worked exclusively for Prince William, and is now chief executive of the Cambridges' Royal Foundation. His email was one of a series of claims about Meghan's treatment of staff after former aides accused her of 'emotional cruelty and manipulation', which had reduced them to tears and left them 'shaking' with fear. The fact aides had managed to keep a lid on these troubling claims for so long demonstrates the unease over what might be unleashed when the Oprah interview is broadcast in the U.S. on Sunday night. It is also a sign that the Palace will not sit back and allow the Sussexes' partial and highly selective account of their brief life as working royals to go unchallenged. Yesterday, royal officials were insisting that the complaints about Meghan, which began to surface within weeks of her and Harry's starry Windsor wedding, were not being orchestrated by Buckingham Palace or by members of the Queen's family. Their focus, they said, was on 99-year-old Prince Philip, who remains a patient at Barts Hospital in London. Complaints about Meghan began to surface within weeks of her and Harry's starry Windsor wedding. Pictured: Harry and Meghan at Ascot in July 2018All the same, some courtiers are privately describing developments as 'the Crown getting its revenge in first'. Whatever the case, you don't have to be much of a conspiracy theorist to see a pattern in the revelations. For on any reading of the claims, what appears to emerge is a streak of wilfulness in Meghan and a pusillanimous Harry torn between his family and his wife. As someone who has reported on the royals for 35 years, I have heard of complaints about the failings of the royals' internal human resources departments on a number of occasions and they were a key factor in the war of words between Charles and Diana. This probably accounts for Mr Knauf's pointed observation in a 2018 email leaked to The Times this week. It said that while the household's head of human resources, Samantha Carruthers, had 'agreed with me on all counts that the situation was serious . . . I remain concerned that nothing will be done'. The intervention of the Queen last night indicates that was almost certainly true. Sources quoted by The Times claim HR attitudes were 'How can we make this go away? ', rather that addressing it. The Queen Mother blamed, and never forgave, the Duchess of Windsor the former Wallis Simpson (pictured) for the premature death of her husbandAccording to insiders, senior figures in all the major royal households knew of the reports that young women were being bullied to the point of tears. 'The institution just protected Meghan,' it was claimed. How ironic that it should be 'the men in grey suits' the very people whom the Duchess of Sussex has complained had been so hostile to her who protected her from these sulphurous claims. By now stories of Meghan's behaviour were circulating openly. One story that reached my ears was of a very junior assistant who had gone from being Meghan's favourite to being told that she had become 'over familiar'. Another was how morning staff meetings over coffee, which Harry himself made, had stopped when Meghan apparently engaged a butler, ending the informality at a stroke. Harmless enough, you may think, but there were other accounts, too. One figure, working in a different part of the royal estate, was alleged to have been reprimanded for giving Harry a present to mark his engagement. And there have been claims that behind the glowing headlines of the couple's first big overseas tour, in October 2018, all was not well at Admiralty House, Australia's governor general's residence which hosted Harry and Meghan. The bombshell revelations coming just four days before the Oprah interview (pictured) is broadcast represent a moment of potential danger for the Royal FamilyHow conflicting this must all have been for Harry, who had been brought up by both his mother and father to respect the staff who work for the Royal Family. But it was Mr Knauf's devastating conclusion about bullying by 'principals' that was to have the greatest impact. Prince William was appalled by the reports that reached his ears, and many now wonder whether it was this that ultimately led to the split between the brothers. Initially, I understand, Harry acknowledged that something was not right, but he swiftly backed his wife. At the time William and Harry shared their staff, but the issue of their treatment became so acute that William and his aides accelerated the process of splitting the household in two. 'What was a long-term plan became an immediate plan,' said a source. Suddenly the 'Fab Four', as the two couples had been dubbed, were no longer quite so fabulous. Harry and Meghan moved out of Kensington Palace and went to live at their new home, Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, taking their own staff with them. Mr Knauf, meanwhile, took up a job as an adviser to the Duke of Cambridge. To the public, the unravelling of the special relationship of two brothers who had been so close because of adversity as well as their unique circumstance was as perplexing as it was heartbreaking. The picture of the princes and their wives barely acknowledging one another at last year's Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey could not have contrasted more than with that joyful Christmas Day at Sandringham in 2017, when all four had been wreathed in smiles. William has looked on with mounting dismay as his brother and sister-in-law have used their new Californian pulpit to wage war on the Press and, more recently, on their own family and the institution that serves it. His hope that Harry, who more than anyone else knows the burdens William faces as the future king, would be at his side has vanished to be replaced by a fear that his disgruntled brother and sister-in-law are morphing ever more into a modern-day version of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. That may also indicate William's hand in last night's Palace intervention. Bullying and remedies to prevent it, are, after all, at the heart of his mental health charity, Heads Together. Even when such damaging allegations are made on the Palace's own doorstep, doing nothing is not an option.

###CLAIM: trolls ( 269877-0-41-z6-o : ) world ( tour ) pulled out of most theaters in the middle of nationwide lock-ins. ###DOCS: Outside view of the closed AMC Theater, amid the Covid 19 pandemic, May 12, 2020, in Burbank, ... [+] California. - AMC stock has been down around 50% and the investors are hoping that Amazon will buy the world largest chain of movie theaters. (Photo by VALERIE MACON / AFP) (Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty ImagesTheatrical moviegoing is an "outdated" distribution model that brought in $42.5 billion in global revenue last year. We got word this week that AMC may run out of money by the end of 2020 or early 2021, with either increased global box office (unlikely with almost every major 2020 release delayed until 2021 or sent to PVOD streaming) or a cash infusion keeping it from bankruptcy. Movie theaters, many of the major chains, have survived bankruptcy before, back when the chains overspent in the mid-1990s saturating the marketplace with newer and better theaters to compete with cable. The competition is harsher this time out, with streaming and VOD threatening to make theatrical moviegoing a secondary option for top-tier filmed entertainment. But if AMC goes bankrupt and/or the movie theater chains dont survive, it wont be because of anything other than the pandemic which kept audiences away for most of this year. If theaters dont survive, and I presume they will in some capacity, it wont be because Chris Nolans Tenet wasnt popular enough or Disneys Mulan went to PVOD. It wont be because Hollywood didnt evolve with the times or theaters couldnt compete with at-home entertainment options. Yes, we may see a movie theaters as video game arcades scenario (just as arcades crumbled as at-home consoles became able to approximate or surpass most cabinet-style video games) whereby theaters are only reserved for the biggest of big blockbusters for experiences that you cant replicate at home. But if theaters dont survive the Coronavirus, it will be because of the pandemic, period. Everything else is a distraction. People arent avoiding theaters because they dont want to, but rather either because they cant, they dont feel safe or those theaters are lacking in tentpoles. Theaters arent struggling because of Netflix NFLX or Hollywood never makes original movies for grown-ups! Theaters are struggling because a pandemic shut down the globe earlier this year, and theaters were thus prevented from doing the one singular thing they do, showing big new movies in theaters, that allowed them to make money. Since the pandemic arguably wasnt properly dealt with in America (arguably due to a disinterested executive branch of the federal government), the kind of theatrical recovery taking place elsewhere (like China) wasnt possible in America. This led to Hollywood holding their big event movies for a later date. Everything else about the push-pull between theaters and streaming, movies versus TV, etc., is irrelevant. Theaters spent much of the year unable to do the thing that provided fresh revenue. And in normal times, movie theaters are still pretty popular. The number of North American total tickets sold in 2019, around 1.235 billion (so says The Numbers), is ever declining from the peak of 1.575 billion in 2002 (in the months after the 9/11 attacks and during a wave of newfangled mega-movies like Spider-Man, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, The Two Towers and Attack of the Clones). However, the 1.318 billion domestic tickets sold in 2018 isnt that far off from the early 1990s, which is before the multiplex went mainstream and gimmicks like stadium seating and digital sound became par for the course. Between 1995 and 2019, the differential between the worst year (2017, with 1.225 billion) and the best year (2002, with 1.575 billion sold) is around 22%. The drop between 2009 (1.418 billion) and 2019 (1.235 billion) is 14%. 2009 (when unlikely smashes like The Blind Side, New Moon and The Hangover broke out alongside Avatar and Transformers: Dark of the Moon) was the first year where grosses topped $10 billion in North America. Theyve hovered between $10.173 billion in 2011 and $11.946 billion in 2018, a differential of 15%. In terms of inflation-adjusted total domestic revenue, 2004 was the last year which topped $13 billion. The $13.6 billion total was partially fueled by two never gonna happen again blockbusters (The Passion of the Christ with $373 million and Fahrenheit 9/11 with $119 million) which brought out folks who otherwise didnt regularly go to theaters. Inflation-adjusted total domestic earnings have steadied, over the last 15 years, between $11.165 billion in 2017 (partially because the 2016 biggies were uncommonly terrible) and $12.9 billion in 2009. Thats a 14% split. Thats not accounting for a decade of overseas expansion (not just China). Rising ticket prices and a rising numbers of consumers who see their movies in premium formats, be it IMAX IMAX , 3-D, D-Box or various higher-end dinner and a movie theaters, have helped make up the difference. Since theaters make most of their money from concessions, Im sure they dont mind if folks also take in a full-course meal or a bottle of wine with the movie. Heck, if I ran a theater Id consider comping tickets (especially for kids/family movies in off-peak hours) in exchange for comparable concession purchases. Considering the deluge of competition for entertainment dollars, along with an increase in the availability of high-quality at-home presentations (1080p, surround sound, etc.) for both theatrically released movies around 90 days after opening day and increasingly polished TV and streaming content, Id argue that somewhat steady is still pretty decent. Yes, domestic moviegoers have spent an increasing amount of their moviegoing money on a swiftly decreasing number of mega-bucks tentpoles, thats more of a problem for the studios as opposed to the theaters. It stinks that out of $3.8 billion out of $11.123 billion in 2017 was represented by the top ten movies. But movie theaters make most of their money from concessions, and a large popcorn purchased for Star Wars: The Last Jedi costs the same as one purchased for All the Money in the World. Say what you will about theaters not acknowledging the future or Hollywood being too franchise-dependent, but theaters earned $42.5 billion in global grosses last year. You may have a great home theater set-up and may prefer to wait until VOD or streaming, but $42.5 billion worth of folks chose to see movies in theaters last year. If studios could make comparative profits that they get from Toy Story 4 or a Split from VOD, theyd have ditched theaters 15 years ago. Trolls: World Tour was pulled from (most) theaters for PVOD in the middle of a nationwide lockdown, with the DreamWorks sequel providing new family-friendly entertainment for quarantined families. It still only grossed around $95 million in 19 days, or what the first Trolls earned ($93 million) in its first 17 days of domestic theatrical release. If Disney were happy with just how many folks paid $30 to lease Mulan, they wouldnt be offering Soul for free on Disney+ DIS . If this summers PVOD dump yielded results comparable to global theatrical release, we wouldnt be waiting until next year to see not just mega-movies like Top Gun: Maverick and F9 but (comparatively) smaller flicks like Candyman and In the Heights. Id argue some of that is due to the fact that folks most inclined to watch something at home are also most inclined/willing to wait until its a lot cheaper than $20 to rent or $25 to buy.Studios like to talk about the sanctity of the theatrical experience. Aside from appeasing filmmakers who still want their work to play in theaters, its mostly because they know that big movies cant make massive profits as PVOD rentals or streaming exclusives. If theaters dont survive, itll be because they got hit with a pandemic that prevented theaters from doing the singular thing that they do to make money. Movie theaters are hurting right now because theres a pandemic that has made everyone, correctly or not, unable/unwilling to visit their local multiplex. That led Hollywood to either delay their big upcoming releases or, on a case-by-case basis, send some of them to PVOD or streaming. That the entire theatrical industry is teetering on a cliff because America failed to get the pandemic under control in comparison to other major overseas markets exposes the decade-long lie about the alleged cardinal importance of overseas box office. China is back to normal, with local blockbusters earning about what they would have earned sans pandemic-related variables. If Hollywood werent relying on domestic box office as a market responsible for 30-50% of the global gross, Wonder Woman 1984, No Time to Die and Black Widow could open overseas theatrically and on VOD/streaming in America. Everything else, streaming, VOD, ticket prices, stagnant wages, the quality/value of the theatrical experience, is a distraction from the fact that a plague forced movie theaters to close for much of 2020. Why did this happen? Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy.

###CLAIM: the american, aiming to break sergey karjakins ' record in 2002 as the youngest 12-year-old grandmaster, began the tournament at vezerkepzo with a 2-5 win over abhimanyu and mishra, then went on to reach 8-1 with still going into the last round online at 16:00. ###DOCS: Bitcoin, the wildly fluctuating crypto-currency, and the careful strategies of the chessboard might seem to have little in common as partners but the unlikely marriage is about to happen. On Sunday the pair come together in the strongest and richest ever online tournament, the FTX Crypto Cup, with the entire world top 10 in the live ratings taking part and a record $320,000 prize fund. FTX is a leading cryptocurrency exchange, so the prize total includes $100,000 in bitcoin, whose volatile movements will be displayed to fans in real time on the Meltwater Champions Tour website. Volatile in the context of what has already happened to the bitcoin portion of the prize fund before a single pawn has been pushed could be considered a serious understatement. The initial $100,000 purchase of 2.1825 bitcoin, then trading around $45,000, was made at 2pm last Monday, to coincide with the publication of a press release announcing the FTX Crypto Cup and its 16 participants. Just one day later bitcoin had a dramatic sell-off sparked by panic over an outage at another cryptocurrency exchange. The low price was $30,000 before bitcoin subsequently recovered to around $40,000, but the only price that will matter to the GMs will be on 31 May when the tournament ends. For Magnus Carlsen the FTX Crypto Cup, and the presence of the complete top 10, offers a special opportunity. Some of the greatest world champions are linked to an individual tournament which they won in style, like Emanuel Lasker at St Petersburg 1914 and New York 1924, Alexander Alekhine at San Remo 1930, Mikhail Botvinnik at The Hague-Moscow 1948, Bobby Fischer at his picket fence US championship 1963-64, and Anatoly Karpov at Linares 1994. Carlsen scored a 3002 rating performance when he won at Pearl Spring, China, in 2009, but that owed more to his 8/10 total than the strength of the opposition. The Norwegians best over-the-board result was probably Shamkir 2015, 7/9 and a 2981 performance against a very strong field. St Louis 2015, where Carlsen was second to Levon Aronian, and Stavanger 2017, where he had a disaster, would have counted had he won either of them. The world No 1 is currently in good form after his victory in the New in Chess Classic, and now has the opportunity to create a special historic performance in online tournaments. The Meltwater Champions Tour has a standard format of a 15-round all-play-all spread over three days, followed by another six days for the knockout stage. Until now, Carlsens very successful formula for the all-play-all has been to do just enough to win it and so become the No 1 seed for the knockout rounds. However, the unprecedented strength of the FTX Crypto Cup creates a different and interesting option for the world champion, to go maximalist, win the all-play-all by a wide margin and then sweep the knock-out rounds. Carlsen is very conscious of his place in chess history so he might be tempted, although the odds are against it. The world champion plays Black against Shak Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan in round one at 4pm on Sunday, then has his much awaited pairing against his 2021 world title challenger, Ian Nepomniachtchi, in round two. Games are live online and free to watch, with grandmaster and computer commentaries, on chess24.com and other major chess websites. Champion v challenger should start at around 5pm. The fourth, final, and much postponed leg of the Fide womens Grand Prix at the Caleta Hotel, Gibraltar, from 22 May to 2 June qualifies two of its 12 players for the 2022 womens candidates. There is English interest as Nigel Short is one of the commentators. Kateryna Lagno (Russia), Nana Dzagnidze (Georgia) and Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine) are the likely favourites. Games and commentary start at 1pm. Abhimanyu Mishra, the 12-year-old American aiming to break Sergey Karjakins 2002 record as the youngest grandmaster at 12 years and seven months, began the Vezerkepzo GM tournament in Budapest with 2/5 but then won his next three to reach 5/8 with Fridays ninth and final round (online from 1.30pm) still to go. Mishras rating could rise to around 2480, meaning that he would need one more 2600 norm and another 20 rating points for the title. With more than three months to go before the 5 September target date, he has time for another half-dozen or so attempts. 3724 1 Qh3? Qd1! drew because of 2 c4+ Rxc4 3 bxc4+ Kxc4 (threat Qa1 mate) 4 Kb2 Qd2+ with perpetual check. Instead 1 Qe5! (threat 2 Qb8+ Qb7 3 Qxb7 mate) wins. If 1...Qxe5 (1...Rxe5 is similar) 2 c4+ Rxc4 3 bxc4+ Kxc4 4 fxe5.

###CLAIM: the only admission was that sales at uk travel stores were likely to recover to the 60 percent level before covidie by the end of next year, when high street sales are still down 14 percent. ###DOCS: WH Smith is set to close 25 high street stores, affecting nearly 200 jobs, after the coronavirus pandemic pushed the retailer 280m into the red. The books to paperclips chain said it was likely to permanently close the stores, which are mainly smaller outlets, after sales in its high street business fell 19%. However, the groups previously successful travel outlets in stations, airports and hospitals have been even worse hit. They recorded a 43% slide in sales in the year to 31 August. In contrast, sales through the retailers main website soared by more than 240%. The company, which operates more than 1,000 UK stores and a further 500-plus overseas, said: While this is not an easy decision to make for our colleagues or the communities we serve, it is vital we retain a strong and cash generative high street portfolio going forward.The group said it intends to renegotiate the terms of leases on 120 stores this year and a further 300 are up for renewal over the next three years. It agreed average rent cuts of 45% on leases renewed in the past year. WH Smith also cancelled its final dividend, worth 47m last year, as it said it expected to burn through 20m of cash in November alone during the UKs high street lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The group had already cancelled its half year dividend meaning now payout for shareholders this year. The latest job cuts come on top of 1,500 jobs losses announced by WH Smith in August about 15% of the companys 14,000-strong global workforce in shops located in railway stations and airports. WH Smith said it had spent 21m on restructuring and redundancy costs during the year and a further 4m on exiting France and a joint venture in Brazil as a result of the pandemic. Those one-off costs helped push it to the 280m annual loss down from a profit of more than 100m last year despite receiving 22m from the UK governments job retention scheme and similar schemes in other countries and 20m from the UKs business rates holiday. Carl Cowling, the chief executive of WH Smith, said: The group delivered a strong first-half performance and traded strongly prior to the outbreak of Covid-19. Since March, we have been heavily impacted by the pandemic.Cowling said that WH Smith had enjoyed strong trading in October, with sales of Christmas cards up 50%, but that the November lockdown was likely to be tough. We are able to stay open as newsagents but it is still not good for us as high street footfall is massively down, Cowling said. He said the retailer was preparing for queues of shoppers in December, when most shops are set to reopen under the governments latest virus control measures, and backed calls from the likes of Primark and Marks & Spencer for trading hours to be extended next month. However busy it was going to be [in December], you can add 10% to 20% to that, Cowling said. Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDeskHe added that, while passenger numbers continued to be significantly down in UK rail stations and airports, WH Smiths North American businesses where 85% of air passengers are domestic was beginning to see some encouraging signs of recovery. He said they were continuing to open new stores in US airports but admitted that sales at UK travel stores were only likely to recover to 60% of pre-Covid levels by August next year when high street sales would still be 14% down. Cowling said WH Smith had a robust plan focused on cost management and had enough cash in place to survive even if there were a further two-month lockdown in the UK. We are a resilient and agile business. The actions we have taken have put us in a strong position to navigate this time of uncertainty and we are well positioned to benefit as our markets return to growth, he said.

###CLAIM: `` the painting on this rock represents a dream of a different life when humans were less like lions, '' he said. ###DOCS: 'I Have Lost Everything': Ethiopian Refugees Flee For Their LivesEnlarge this image toggle caption Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty ImagesThe heat is unrelenting in the middle of a December day in eastern Sudan. It's hard to find any shade in this arid landscape. It's mostly dust and boulders and, for now at least, it is the temporary home of tens of thousands of Ethiopian refugees who have crossed the border to flee the fighting in their country. There's not much to make a home. The nearest town, Al Qadarif, is two hours away. No water source exists at the camps, so water is trucked in from miles away through rugged roads. Refugees are sleeping in makeshift tents and in abandoned buildings. Some are even sleeping outside with no shelter. Last month, the Ethiopian government launched a military offensive against a rebellious regional government. The ensuing conflict has killed hundreds, and almost 50,000 Ethiopians have crossed the country's northwestern border into Sudan. It's a refugee crisis that is straining the humanitarian infrastructure in the country. The United Nations refugee agency has appealed for $150 million to help cope with the situation. Enlarge this image toggle caption Nariman El-Mofty/AP Nariman El-Mofty/APAt Village 8 Camp, Measho Fishale, 34, is trying to make a stew out of the sorghum that humanitarian groups have been handing out. It isn't really working. All she can do is stand above the stove in the sun, holding her toddler. She has seven children, but when the fighting started in the town of Mai-Kadra in early November, her two oldest were not at home. "[Militias] were slaughtering people with knives and machetes," she says. Many other refugees describe the same scene: They say members of Fano, a youth militia loyal to the government, rampaged through Mai-Kadra killing ethnic Tigrayans. The government has repeatedly disputed that narrative, saying it was a youth militia affiliated with the Tigrayan rebels who killed ethnic Amharas, Ethiopia's second-biggest ethnic group. NPR could not independently corroborate the refugees' claims, but dozens of them told the same story. Measho says she had no choice but to run immediately. She has looked for the two children she left behind in Ethiopia, hoping they would have found their way to the camp, but she hasn't been able to find them. Standing next to Measho is 55-year-old Kidan Berhe. She wanted to stay home, despite the war and didn't think she could make the arduous walk through the bush into Sudan. But then armed men swept through the town, and she thought about her children having to return to look for her. She worried they would be killed as well, so she left everything and walked for hours toward Sudan. "This is all I have," she says, pointing to her clothes. Tears well up in her eyes and she presses her hands against her face. "My gold. My clothes. I have lost everything," she tells NPR. She says she now feels safe in Sudan but worries about her future and about the bleak living conditions at the camps. Humanitarian workers are struggling to keep up with the flow of refugees and to build up an infrastructure to accommodate them. Nadir Ibrahim, a local humanitarian worker, says the refugees "need water; there are no latrines; they are doing open defecation." If this continues, he warns, disease will run rampant at these camps. Refugees are doing what they can with whatever they can. They're building shelter out of grass. They are trying to make injera the traditional Ethiopian bread usually made from a grain called teff from the sorghum that is given out by aid agencies. In Ethiopia, the situation appears more severe. The United Nations has said that refugees in the Tigray Region have received no aid since conflict started. The more than 96,000 Eritrean refugees in Tigray, who have fled war and repression in the past two decades, the U.N. says, have run out of food rations. The U.N. has received reports that refugees are leaving camps because of violence. Ethiopia and the U.N. had reached an agreement giving aid groups access to the Tigray Region, but last week, the Ethiopian military shot at a U.N. convoy and the government warned it did not need a "babysitter." On Friday, the International Rescue Committee said one of its staff members had been killed at a camp in Tigray. Ethiopia has said that the military operation in the country is over, because it has taken control of the Tigray Region capital, Mekelle. But the Tigray People's Liberation Front says it will not surrender to what it considers an invading army, and fighting has continued on many fronts. The war is a power struggle between Ethiopia's new government and its old one; it's about what the Ethiopian political system will look like in the future. But in interviews with refugees, the war is about loss. Everyone, no matter which side they're on, is mourning. Some have lost loved ones; many others have lost homes. And every inch of the refugee camps in Sudan has become about grasping at some semblance of what they had before the war. At the Um Rakuba camp, Fitsum Kidanemariam, 25, says he left his parents back in Ethiopia. He hasn't been able to call them, so he doesn't know their fate. He's a slim young man and his voice breaks as he explains his situation. Back home, his love was art, but he had to work in construction because, like anywhere in the world, "there is no money in art," he says. He walks past a huge tent filled with sacks of sorghum, past a little hut where women sell coffee. He enters what looked like an abandoned schoolhouse. It's just a shell now most of the windows are broken; there are no doors; the paint is peeling. His friends play cards on the floor. On the windowsill, just behind them, he has lined up seven sculptures that he made out of rocks he found in the camp. On one of them, he carved the face of a woman on one side and the face of a lion on the other. "The woman is forgiving and respectful," he says. "The lion, like warring men, will lash out at the slightest touch." Fitsum sculpts every day. For hours, he meticulously carves rocks using a piece of steel he found at the camp. He's trying to forget the violence, hoping that his parents are still alive. He says he spent hours sculpting this rock, dreaming of a different life where humans were less like lions. With chaos enveloping Ethiopia amidst a weeks-long conflict, thousands of refugees have made their way to Umm Rakouba refugee camp in neighboring Sudan in a bid to escape the bloodshed. Hundreds boarded rickety, run down buses for the trip, hanging out of the windows with little room to spare during the journey Friday. At the camp, which is now home to 15,000 refugees, women huddled around fires on the ground, cooking food for their families in a bare bones set up of scattered concrete shelters. The bus riders were among up to 950,000 people who may be displaced by the month-long war. Nearly 50,000 have already fled into neighboring Sudan. LIke other camps, Umm Rakouba is nearly overwhelmed by the mass exodus of people seeking food and medical aid after international aid to the region was cut off for more than a month. The Ethiopian government restricted access to the region after the shadowy, ethnically-charged war began between federal troops and the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front, a political party that ruled the province. No journalists or outside observers have been able to get into the region since the fighting began Nov. 4, leaving rumor and propaganda from both sides as the only source of information. Previous 1 of 5 Next Tigrinyan refugee 38-year-old Rega Tsfay, malnourished mother of her 3-moth-old son Itbarak, rests inside a tent run by UNICEF. Ethiopian refugees who fled Tigray region, prepare a meal within the Um-Rakoba camp in Al-Qadarif state. Tigrinyan refugee women prepare bread for their family in Umm Rakouba refugee camp in Qadarif, eastern Sudan. Tigrinyan refugees who fled Ethiopia's conflict, help each other fill their gallons with water. Tigrinyan refugees wait their turns to fill their jugs with water. The government on Saturday allowed the first convoy of humanitarian aid seven white trucks from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Ethiopian Red Cross that arrived in the regional capital Mekelle. Doctors and nurses have been ... weeks without new supplies, running water, and electricity, said Patrick Youssef, the ICRCs regional director for Africa. This medical shipment will inject new stocks, help patients, and reduce those impossible life-or-death triage decisions.The government says Tigray is returning to normal, but the specter of a Nov. 9 massacre that saw hundreds killed in the border town of Mai-Kadra hangs over those who fled, and rumors of ongoing slaughter keep them from returning. Previous 1 of 5 Next Tigrinyan refugees arrive in convoys from Village 8 near the Lugdi border crossing, at Umm Rakouba refugee camp. A Tigrinyan refugee woman prepares bread for her family by a lighted fire. Tigray refugee children sing and dance inside a tent run by UNICEF. A worker for Non Governmental Organization Muslim Aid, organizes Tigrinyan refugees waiting in line to receive cooked rice. Tigrinyan refugee men prepare dinner over a wood fire. Hundreds were hacked with machetes and knives or strangled with ropes during the killing in Mai-Kadra. After interviewing refugees, Amnesty International said its possible troops from both sides participated. The organization said it confirmed the massacre in the city by using geolocation to verify video and photographs of the bodies. Mai-Kadra may just be the beginning of atrocities in Tigray, experts fear. Amnesty researcher Fisseha Tekle said other credible allegations are emerging of similar massacres in the nearby towns of Humera and Dansha and Mekele.

###CLAIM: then senator joe biden helped pass legislation decades ago prohibiting the manufacture of certain semi-automatic weapons for civilian use. ###DOCS: SummaryBiden calls for gun reforms after latest mass shootings. Democrats renew push for gun reforms in wake of mass shootings. Colorado has among highest rates of school and mass shootings. Boulder assault weapons ban was lifted days before shootings. GOP senators push back against gun reforms. Senate committee holds hearing on reducing gun violence. States call on DOJ to close ghost gun loophole. NRA tweets Second Amendment quote as if gunman was part of a well-regulated militia. GOP lawmakers blame Biden for border crisis. Transcript(COMMERCIAL BREAK)JOY REID, MSNBC HOST: Good evening, everyone. We begin THE REIDOUT tonight with the second high-profile mass shooting in the United States in less than a week, a shooting in a Boulder, Colorado, supermarket on Monday afternoon that killed ten people, including the first responding officer, as well as a 25year-old store worker and a 61 year-old man who will never meet his expected grandchild. All of this as the community in the Atlanta area continues to mourn the eight people, six of them Asian women, killed at three spas just six days ago. Boulder Police have identified Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa as the gunman. He`s in custody and charged with ten counts of first degree murder. Today, in the face of this gruesome epidemic, President Biden called for immediate action. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: I don`t need to wait another minute, let alone, an hour to take common sense steps, or save the lives in the future and to urge my colleagues in the House and Senate act. The United States Senate -- I hope some are listening -- should immediately pass the two House-passed bills that close loopholes in the background check system. This is not and should not be a partisan issue. This is an American issue. It will save lives, American lives. And we have to act. (END VIDEO CLIP)REID: And there`s arguably no other politician who has more experience dealing with this particular issue than Joseph Robinette Biden. Not only that he serve as vice president of the United States during some of the deadliest mass shooting in our nation`s history during the Obama years, but in 1994, decades before that, then-Senator Joe Biden helped to pass legislation that prohibited the manufacture of certain semi-automatic weapons for civilian use. The assault weapons ban phased out in 2004 under a ten-year sunset provision with numerous law makers, including Biden, try and failing to get it renewed. The ban was folded into the 1994 anticrime bill, yes, the same crime bill that expanded mandatory minimum sentences and increased federal funding for police departments and prisons, that crime bill. Now, ironically, that bill which also included the Biden authored Violence Against Women Act, would later haunt Biden and Hillary Clinton, as mass incarceration became a leading sure during their presidential bids. That bill passed nearly 30 years ago during a very different Congress and a vastly different political climate, but here we are tonight, asking again with new urgency, whether this country will ever again address the unique American problem of gun violence. And, once again, it boils down to action. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): America woke up today to another nightmare, stunning, shocking, savage, but unsurprising because this kind of horror is thoroughly predictable as long as Congress fails to act. SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): We need to do more than reflect. We need to act. We need to show we care and prevent the next mass shooting, if we can. (END VIDEO CLIP)REID: Now, of course, we know the story all too well. We have seen it on our television far too many times. We`ve mourned the lives lost, feeling outraged over the lack of action, while knowing in some parts of the country, it`s easier to buy a gun than it is to vote. And now, Congress looks and feels very different, boasting gun-obsessed conservatives who display their weapons as their Zoom backgrounds, and campaign as Second Amendment warriors. This is what we`re all up against, and so we ask, as we`ve ask each and every time this happens, when will this end? Joining me now is Colorado State Senator Rhonda Fields and Brandon Wolf, Pulse Nightclub Survivor and Vice President of the Drew Project. Thank you both for being here. And I want to start with you, State Representative Fields. Yes, I grew up in Colorado. I always knew lots of people have guns. STATE SEN. RHONDA FIELDS (D-CO): Yes. REID: We -- you know Columbine happened. There been all of these incidents, the Aurora Night Club shooting. Colorado is a gunny state. It didn`t seem like a wackily gun state when I was growing up, but it is. There is an analysis that shows in 2019, Denver posted an analysis that showed the Colorado, my growing-up state, had more mass shootings per capita than all but four states in the country. The Census-designated Denver metropolitan statistical area had more school shooting per capita since 1999 than any of the country`s 24 other largest metro areas. What in the hell is going on in Colorado? FIELDS: I wish I knew. I really wish I knew what was really going on, because we have some very strong gun safety measures in the state of Colorado, but we have people committing homicide and suicide with these assault weapons and guns and rifles and whatever they can get their hands on. REID: And I changed which house you`re in, you`re a state senator. So I apologize for that, Senator. Just to ask you, so there was actually an assault weapons ban. You know, Colorado actually did, was kind of proactive after some of these mass school shootings and passed some laws, including an assault weapons ban. It was supposed to stop mass shootings. It was blocked ten days before this particular attack, not that it necessarily would have stopped it. A judge ruled that Boulder could not enforce the 2018 ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines that was put in place following the Parkland School shooting. The judge said the city couldn`t restrict fire arms that are otherwise legal under state and federal law. Is there an attack, sort of a reversal of what had been a pretty good record for the state of Colorado on trying to pass gun reform? FIELDS: Right. And, in fact, you have an assault weapon ban in Denver. So the mayor there has and the city council has an assault weapons ban, but it was a patched approach. So all across Colorado is not the same, and the same across our nation. We can have people go across borders and buy these assault weapons. And we need, really, like the Congress people were talking, for people to catch up with what`s going on in our communities. And it`s time for Congress to act. REID: Yes. A federal solution would really -- it seems like it is called for. Brandon, my friend, thank you for being here. I want you to, you know if Joe Biden -- President Biden today, said it shouldn`t be a political issue, but of course it is. Of course it is. And let me just let you listen to some of the senators during today`s gun violence hearing, some of the Republicans. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): And every time there`s a shooting, we play this ridiculous theater where this committee gets together and proposes a bunch of laws that would do nothing to stop these murders. Not only does it reduce crime, it makes it worse. SEN. JOHN KENNEDY (R-LA): We have a lot of drunk drivers in America that kill a lot of people. We ought to try to combat that too. The answer is not to get rid of all sober drivers. (END VIDEO CLIP)REID: That`s them. Senator John Kennedy got $215,000 from the NRA. Ted Cruz got $176,274 in recent cycles. Brandon, the NRA is weakened, they`re like crippled. Why do they still seem to exert so much control over Republican politicians? BRANDON WOLF, PULSE NIGHTCLUB SHOOTING SURVIVOR: Well, I don`t even know if that`s the answer anymore. I think Republican politicians have sold themselves out to the farthest right-wing of their party. And they essentially function as a Twitter troll operation. I want to tell your viewers a quick story actually. In 2019, I became the first survive of the Pulse Nightclub shooting to testify before a congressional committee. That committee was chaired by the late Congressman John Lewis, and I was very, very honored o share my story there. I poured my heart out. I told parts of that story that had previously been way too hard for me to share because this is a matter of life and death. I felt it that important to share. And after I left it all on the table, the ranking Republican member of that committee had the audacity to say to me, rather than ask members of Congress what they can do for you, what are you doing to make your own community safer? Well, the truth is that I took that to heart. I went home and I worked tireless to give Democrats control of Congress in 2020. And I tell you that because I`m not going to play the phony outrage game with Republican lawmakers who would sooner see our democracy overthrown that someone have to pass a background check for a gun they bought online. It is far past time for America to move forward. Republican legislators can join the majority of their constituents in that work whenever their ready, but so long as their intent on stomping their feet, and obstructing progress, and looking for the next viral tweet, then we`re just going to have to do it without them. REID: Yes, it`s sort of been an Alex Jones-ification of the Republican Party, Senator. I mean you`ve got Lauren Boebert, who uses like a bunch of big old guns, that her Zoom background, and she tweeted out today all thoughts and prayers for the, on the shooting and got, this you, by Jemele Hill because it`s like you did do that background. Is somebody like her in politics in Colorado hurting the effort? FIELDS: Absolutely. It`s not helpful at all. And we definitely need federal leadership. I mean, Colorado has done some great things, but we need to make sure that Congress is acting right now. In the state of Colorado, after Columbine, we closed the gun show loophole. We have universal background checks. We have two pieces of legislation that is making its way through the chambers, which is gun safe storage and also how to report a stolen gun. So we`re still working on some things. But I do think that at some point we need to ban assault weapons. REID: Yes, that seems logical. Colorado State Senator Rhonda Fields, Brandon Wolf, I wish we had more times. Thank you both for being here. And with us now is the Pennsylvania attorney general, Josh Shapiro. And, you know, you`re trying -- the state of Pennsylvania is trying to do something to sort of get rid of these like ghost guns, guns that you have to put together afterwards that do get around the loopholes, you know, for background checks, et cetera. You know, is it going to be -- we just heard the state senator from Colorado say the state is trying to pass things. Is this still going to come down to the state doing all the work here on gun reform? JOSH SHAPIRO (D) PENNSYLVANIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: Well, look, I`m hopeful that the Biden administration is going to take action. They have said they want to, and I take them at their word. But we`re not waiting on Washington. There are some common sense things we can do right now that are going to save lives in our states. You mentioned ghost guns, Joy. I brought a ghost gun with me. This is a ghost gun. You can go and buy a ghost gun at a gun show in Pennsylvania or online, and, in fact, people were going to gun shows in Pennsylvania and buying these things by the duffel bags. And then they were taking them back to Philadelphia, assembling them and selling them on the streets for 100 percent profit. Now, why are these particularly dangerous? Because when you go to a gun show to buy one of this, you don`t have to go through a background check. And furthermore, they`re un-serialized and untraceable. And they are now the weapon of choice for criminals in our communities. And so we stepped up and we did something about it. We negotiated with the largest gun show promoter in Pennsylvania, and he agreed to stop selling these at his gun shows. And in doing so, he is keeping 36,000 of these, we estimate, just this year alone, off the streets of our communities. This is a weapon that you can buy if you`re a criminal and we have to close that loophole. We have to close the ghost gun loophole. REID: You know, part of your job -- I mean, it is a political job. Can you just explain what could be -- and have you talked -- I don`t know -- with the senators, people like Pat Toomey and other Republicans, what is their justification now? The NRA is basically crippled. They`re broke. They`re trying to reassemble themselves in Texas. But they don`t wield the kind of power that they used to. Can you explain, or do you understand what the objection is to something like what you just said, which seems pretty common sense? SHAPIRO: That`s exactly what I was going to use, it is common sense and it is going to save lives. And understand that the gun show promoter that we worked with, he is a very strong Second Amendment supporter. And you know what, we can support our constitution and support public safety. This is a great example of that. We`ve identified the problem, we know it exists and we`re trying to solve it. Understand that politicians, some politicians in Washington, in Harrisburg and other state capitals, they are making a choice to allow this violence to continue. They are making a choice and saying it`s okay to shoot up a synagogue in Pittsburgh, or a spa in Atlanta, or a shopping market in Boulder, or on the streets of Philadelphia every single night. I refuse to accept this as a new normal. I refuse to make that same choice to do nothing. I can`t explain their inaction. You know, it`s going to be a combination of political fear and just an unwillingness to roll up their sleeves and do the hard work necessary to save lives. REID: You know, NRA tried to tweet out today, thinking they were dropping the mic, tweeting out the text of the Second Amendment. The text to the Second Amendment includes the words, well regulated, and it talks about militias. It is irrelevant to gun reform. From what -- you know it`s being talk about in places like in Congress in the United States Senate and in the House, would you like to see the United State Senate get rid of the filibuster in order to pass what even 70 percent of even Republicans want universal background checks? Do you think that the Senate should just deck (ph) the filibuster so that they can actually pass it? SHAPIRO: If you`re telling me that the inaction that is causing the loss of life every single day in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania can be fixed by doing away with the filibuster, then, hell, yes, do away with the filibuster. It`s a vestige of a Senate from yesteryear that has rendered it unable to solve the big, pressing problems of the day. We need to get these ghost guns and these other weapons of war out of the hands of criminals. We should all agree on that. And if the filibuster is a thing that it`s holding it up, then let`s get rid of that filibuster immediately. REID: Thank you very much, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro. I really appreciate you being here tonight and keeping it real. And up next on THE REIDOUT, President Biden confronts the humanitarian challenge on the border, while on the right they`re using racist phrases like lower level of human being to describe the men, women and children seeking asylum in America. Tonight, in call on the Tucker Carlson defense, remember when Fox News lawyer argued that no one should actually believe what Tucker says on his show. I mean, come on? Now another Republican is making a similar argument in cord that no reasonable person would think that anything she said truthful. Well, the truth is she is tonight`s absolute worst. Plus, Senator Amy Klobuchar joins me on Voting Rights and Mayor Muriel Bowser on D.C. statehood. It is a big show tonight. THE REIDOUT continues after this. Stay right there. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)REID: If you`ve been watching T.V. over the past couple of weeks, you probably heard a familiar Republican talking point about the situation at the southern border. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)REP.KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): There`s no other way to claim it than a Biden border crisis. SEN. JOHN BARRASSO (R-WY): This is Joe Biden`s crisis. He created it by his policies. SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): It`s a crisis that`s unfolding. It`s getting worse and worse every day. SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Eventually, it`s going to be a national security crisis, because there are children today, but there could easily be terrorists tomorrow. (END VIDEO CLIP)REID: With the Grand Q Party now confronting a president who just passed a massive and popular piece of legislation, that is what they`re left with. Yes, migration at the Southern border is a genuine political challenge and ongoing one that spans several previous administrations. But is it a crisis, as Republicans so desperately want the media to portray it as? Well, according to an analysis in "The Washington Post," the current increase in apprehensions fits a predictable pattern of seasonal changes in undocumented immigration, combined with a backlog of demand because of 2020`s coronavirus border closure. Adding to the current situation, longstanding issues of poverty and gang and cartel violence in the Northern Triangle countries in Central America, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, some of it fueled, by the way, by drug demand here in America. And add to that devastation from natural disasters. The region was battered by two hurricanes last November, and, voila, shock of all shocks, people start moving to try to save their lives and their children`s lives. Now, indeed, the Biden administration has faced some deserved scrutiny, in particular over transparency regarding facilities currently housing migrant children. Just because Republicans are attacking them disingenuously doesn`t mean the public doesn`t have an interest in seeing what`s happening inside those facilities. And so, today, Customs and Border Protection released new images from two temporary facilities processing migrant kids along the border. But, for Republicans, their caterwauling is not about concern for those children. Let`s just be clear. Those children are just a prop for fearmongering and doing the old brown scare, as evidenced by what you heard from Lindsey Graham earlier. And perhaps the most repugnant example was dished out by FOX News` Jeanine Pirro, who used to be a judge, a frightening thought, in and of itself, who last night once again stoked nativist and frankly, racist false claims about migrant children. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)JEANINE PIRRO, FOX NEWS: The bringing of these children into this country, where they will be forever connected to what cartel, is slavery. What we`re doing here is, we`re promoting a lower level of human being who will be controlled from other countries. (END VIDEO CLIP)REID: A lower level of human being. Joining me now, Victoria DeFrancesco Soto, assistant dean of the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. I just want to let you have at Jeanine Pirro, lower level of human being. Your thoughts? VICTORIA DEFRANCESCO SOTO, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS: Joy-Ann, I was saddened but not surprised. As someone who is focused on immigration for decades, those are the same words that were used with European immigrants, with Southern and Eastern European immigrants. Really, this is where the eugenics movement started in Ellis Island, where they would take immigrants who were coming over and figuring out that they were lower level and not letting them come in. So, this is not new. And the other thing that is not new is knowing that immigration is something that stokes so much emotion in people. And it`s very easy. It`s low-hanging fruit, in terms of taking it, when you want to distract, when you want to pivot and use that. And I think this is what we see the GOP doing. Is there a crisis at the border? Look, we have had a crisis when it comes to the border and the immigration system for going on a decade. We`re well overdue for comprehensive immigration reform. So, yes, it is a crisis. REID: Yes. DEFRANCESCO SOTO: But it`s a crisis that we have been living in for close to a decade, Joy-Ann. REID: More than a decade. I mean, you can go all the way back. There`s a great piece in "The Week" where they put a chart up that I just want to put up on the screen. OK, if you -- if you call the crisis the number of apprehensions, if you want to go by that, because they`re making it sound like a million people at the border, look at the side of the chart that is on my left, stage right. The year 2000, we`re talking about, in 2001, you had more than 200,000 a month. That was during the George W. Bush era, OK? Keep going. You can go all the way through. It goes up, it goes down. It`s seasonal. Up. It goes down. Up. It goes down. Up. It goes down. Look where we are now in 2021. We are not anywhere near -- we are less than half of the level of people who were coming in -- early in 2000. So, no, it`s not a crisis. We need immigration reform. Talk a little bit about the logistics here, because we talk about this on the show as sort of, there`s a challenge of the start of it, right, the Triangle countries, who, by the way, some of it is our doing that has put them in this horrible situation. We aren`t giving enough aid. They have issues with COVID. All sorts of issues are happening there. Then you have the problem of the choke point. When you get to the border, what the hell do you do with people who are stuck and backing up because of the last four years of terrible policy? And now they know their kids won`t be taken. So, like, OK, maybe I can try. And then where do you put with people? Because you can`t just take a kid and send them off on their own. You have got to process them and have them go somewhere safe. Sorry. I just talked myself out. Tell me what you think we could be doing differently. DEFRANCESCO SOTO: What you just laid out is the multilayered nature of the problem. When we`re talking about immigration, it`s about the push and the pull factors. And there is no one push factor of folks coming from Central America. It`s instability when it comes to their economy, to the gang violence, to the economic instability that`s triggered by climate change. REID: Yes. DEFRANCESCO SOTO: We have seen since 2014 El Nino and La Nina being much more severe. This is causing more droughts in the highlands of Guatemala. Your subsistence farmers no longer have anything to subsist on. So they`re coming over. With the hurricanes, we saw the sharecroppers who lived off the land, their crops were wiped out. And do the calculus. If you`re a rational actor, human beings take a cost/benefit analysis. If I stay here, I`m going to starve. If I don`t stay here, I might have a chance of making it and surviving and thriving. Any Republican would do the same thing for their family. And this is what this nation was built on, on immigrants come in for a better life. REID: The Irish did it in the 1840s. The Germans did it in the 1870s. That`s how Donald Trump`s family got here. They didn`t come over here just for kicks. They came over because they were pushed here and pulled here by opportunity and by problems back home, the same reason that it populated this country. Let me play Greg Abbott and Ted Cruz. Here they are. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)GOV. GREG ABBOTT (R-TX): Now the Biden administration is importing COVID into the state of Texas, exposing more Texans to that, and who knows what we`re going to see. CRUZ: What I care about is, stop making the problem worse, stop releasing people are COVID-positive, stop putting kids in harm`s way, and stop releasing criminals that prey on the community. (END VIDEO CLIP)REID: It is gross to me for Greg Abbott to portray people as basically disease carriers because they come from Central America. But I just have to get your thoughts on Ted, Rafael Ted Cruz, who himself is a person of color, to participate in that. Your thoughts? DEFRANCESCO SOTO: He is, Joy-Ann, but he has never embraced that identity. In fact, I would argue that he has pushed back against his Latino identity. And I think the trickier part here is that, in framing his dad`s immigration to the United States from Cuba, he always is very clear to point out that he was a political refugee, that he came here fighting communism, he didn`t want to be in that communist bastion that was Cuba. He came to the U.S. So he uses a very different frame to separate himself from immigrants who are coming as a result of economic reasons or the plight that we`re seeing in Central America. So it`s been always interesting to see how Ted Cruz has separated himself from his immigrant experience and, when pushed, puts the difference of his dad and other immigrants. REID: Yes, but he also didn`t defend his dad when Donald Trump said that his dad was part of killing JFK. He didn`t even defend the man. He basically was like, yes, Donald Trump, yes, Donald Trump, yes, sir, yes, sir, yes, sir, more, sir. Victoria -- that was me, not Victoria DeFrancesco Soto, who is lovely and not shady like me. (LAUGHTER)REID: Thank you very much for saying that. And appreciate your time tonight. And still ahead, Senator Amy Klobuchar -- I mean, come on -- Senator Amy Klobuchar on voting rights and the filibuster. And D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser will be here on the push for statehood, very important discussion. But first:(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)LIAM NEESON, ACTOR: Release the Kraken. (END VIDEO CLIP)REID: We release tonight`s absolute worst. I think you will agree tonight`s nominee is truly worthy. Stay with us. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)REID: Remember former Trump lawyer Sidney Powell? Well, she`s back in the news, and not in a good way. You might recall that, for weeks after November 3, Powell hurled wild accusations of voter fraud, including the bogus claim that the former president was the victim of a rigged election. Most of her conspiracy theories centered around Dominion Voting Systems, a company that manufactured some of the election equipment used in November. Never mind that there was no actual evidence of fraud. Night after night, Powell relentlessly targeted Dominion in press conferences and on right- wing news. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)SIDNEY POWELL, ATTORNEY: Dominion operators went in and injected votes and changed the whole system. They run a computer algorithm on it as needed to either flip votes, take votes out, or alter the votes to make a candidate win. It has been used all over the world to defy the will of people who wanted freedom. There is statistical evidence. There`s all kinds of mathematical evidence, essentially forensic evidence. Dominion and its minions and other state officials everywhere are apparently out there trying to destroy everything they can get to before we can seize it. They had this all planned, Maria. It is one huge, huge criminal conspiracy. (END VIDEO CLIP)REID: But according to Powell, the conspiracy against Trump didn`t just involve Dominion. No, no, it was an international syndicate of globalists, communists, corporations, and ghosts, including the ever-present right-wing boogeyman George Soros, Hillary Clinton, and the very, very dead Hugo Chavez. (SPEAKING SPANISH) Senor Chavez. Powell famously promised to release the Kraken in a flurry of lawsuits that would finally prove her claims once and for all. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)POWELL: I can hardly wait to put forth all the evidence we have collected on Dominion, starting with the fact it was created to produce altered voting results in Venezuela for Hugo Chavez. I`m going to release the Kraken. (END VIDEO CLIP)REID: But it turns out -- and this is going to shock you -- the Kraken wasn`t real, after all. The last of Powell`s lawsuits were thrown out by the conservative majority U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month. Even the beer guy couldn`t help Donald out. And instead of a vindication she so badly sought, Powell was slapped with a $1.3 billion lawsuit by none other than Dominion Voting Systems. In other words, she`s now in serious legal trouble. And that brings us to the news of this week, because, despite all of her allegations, and her frivolous legal challenges, and the blatant disinformation campaign she led before an audience of millions, Sidney Powell is now casting her statements in a very different light. Powell responded to the lawsuit by saying that: "I think no reasonable person would conclude that the statements" she made about Dominion "were truly statements of fact." In other words, the people to blame for taking the former lawyer to the president of the United States seriously were those in the MAGA base who believed her, some of whom hauled off and stormed the Capitol. Hey, guys, I think she`s calling you all suckers. And if her legal strategy sounds familiar, that`s because it`s the same argument FOX News made to defend Tucker Carlson in a lawsuit last year. In that case, a judge ruled that Carlson is not stating actual facts about the topics he discusses on live TV every night, an interesting revelation for those who watch his TV show. So, like her right-wing brethren at FOX, Sidney Powell wants a free pass to not only make baseless accusations with impunity, but to also file them in court. And that is what makes Sidney Powell the absolute worst. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)REID: The last president to sign meaningful gun legislation was Bill Clinton, in the `90s. Since that time, the wave of gun violence in America has exceeded all other developed countries on Earth. Earlier this month, the House of Representatives passed two bills to help address gun violence, but here`s the problem. There`s zero chance that Republicans will join Democrats in passing those bills. Just like there`s zero chance Republicans will join Democrats in passing the For the People Act, the federal voting reform anti-corruption bill, or the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act, two additional bills the House recently passed. In other words, progress in America today hinges on a feckless Republican party parked in the Senate minority that is devoid of ideas, clinging to the filibuster in monument to white supremacy. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): Historians do not agree it has no racial history. This is all about a power grab. SEN. JONI ERNST (R-IA): The filibuster forces compromises, and this is what Republicans did when they were in the majority in both the House and the Senate and holding the White House. SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD): I certainly hope there are enough wise and thoughtful Democrats who understand that doing away with the legislative filibuster would create a nuclear winter in the United States Senate. (END VIDEO CLIP)REID: This morning, a national civic engagement group led by former First Lady Michelle Obama, Jennifer Lopez, Billie Eilish and others called on Congress to pass the For the People Act. It`s the concerted effort to put star power to use, to increase public pressure on the senators who have the power to pass these popular bills. And for more, I`m joined now by Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. And, Senator, thank you so much for being here. You used to be a skeptic about getting rid of the filibuster. What changed your mind? SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN): (INAUDIBLE) a wise and thoughtful senator. I was just listening to Senator Thune`s words, and I think we need to change badly in that place. So go on. REID: Yeah, sorry about that. I didn`t mean to step on you. But, yeah, I guess, you know, you used to be skeptical about changing the filibuster, but you`ve made a hard turn on that. What triggered your change of heart on that? KLOBUCHAR: I think it was the winter that Senator Thune referred to that we have not been able to get anything major done, short of a national when we have the pandemic upon us. Then make people scurry, scrum together and get things done, but we have major, major issues before us. And one of them, this would be the first time, thanks to Senator Warnock and Senator Ossoff and their wins in Georgia, that we`re going to have the gavel and we`re going to have a hearing, I am, on the Rules Committee, on the For the People Act. While in Georgia and other states across the country, over 200 bills have been introduced to try to dismantle voting rights. It`s literally what they thought is, OK, we lost a national election, record number of people vote, we`re not going to change our message or try to reach out to people, say the Republicans, instead we`re going to double down on that message at CPAC, and let`s make sure less people vote. I think Warnock said it best in his maiden speech. What this is about is some people don`t want some people to vote. Those eight words mean more than anything I say to you on this interview. So, that`s what this is. REID: Well, you know, the thing is -- there is a lot of focus from some groups who are saying, okay, make a carve-out in the filibuster for voting rights legislation. However, we just have had another massacre. We`ve had two massacres in two weeks, both in Georgia and now in Colorado. You`ve got the For the People Act which you just mentioned. You`ve got this background checks act that`s passed the House. You`ve got enhanced background checks. You`ve got the George Floyd Justice and Policing. There are so many bills piled up. And I`m old enough to remember that when Mitch McConnell was in the minority during the Obama administration, he used the filibuster to pretty much bring the Senate to a halt. And you`ve got -- there`s a great piece in "The Atlantic", which talks about the fact that basically the filibuster means there`s no accountability. Just threatening a filibuster can just kill any bill in advance before there`s any debate. Mitch McConnell is demanding that it stay that way. Why would any Democrat go along with that? Can you explain why some of these conservative Democrats want it to stay that way? KLOBUCHAR: I mean, first of all, you know, Joy, there`s a whole bunch of people who want a change. Even Senator Manchin has talked about bringing in a talking filibuster, which would force them to actually have to, like, in the movies, speak instead of just hiding back in their offices or going home and stopping a bill. I think what has happened here is that people have realized in stark terms -- if January 6th didn`t turn you, I don`t know what does. There are people that literally are trying to upend our democracy, that don`t believe in people`s rights to vote, that only believe in some people`s rights to vote. That`s not what America is about. In the words of the African-American police officer who after being pummeled with poles, turns to his friend and said, is this America? It`s not. So, that`s why it`s so important that we pass this bill and that will allow us, by the way, to do a bunch of other really important things for this country. And I think the proof is in the America Rescue Plan. A bunch of those -- none of those Republicans voted for it in the U.S. Senate, but a bunch of the Republican constituents and Democrats wanted it, and to get it done, we did it with a 51-vote margin and it worked. REID: What do you think -- you know these guys, the Joe Manchins, the Kyrsten Sinemas, what do you think the trigger might be for them? Because you had something that finally said we`ve got to change this. Just in speaking with your conservative colleagues on the Democratic side, what do you it will take? Is it going to take all of these bills failing on the floor to get cloture over and over, voting rights, gun reform, and all of it failing, even, you know, transportation and all of those bills? Do you think it`s going to take those bills actually failing before they change their minds? KLOBUCHAR: You`d have to ask them. I will say Senator Manchin is one of the authors, as you know, of the background check bill that almost passed before. So, they understand what the stakes are. And Senator Sinema understands the stakes in her state in Arizona when it comes to economics and climate change and the like. And so, I believe that we need to get this bill to the floor. And we need people to understand that there are people in the country that are literally trying to make it impossible for them to vote by mail. Why did all these people vote in the middle of a public health crisis? Because for the first time in many states, you could vote by mail. You didn`t have to have a notary public sign things. And they`re literally trying to peel that back. And I think we`re going to have such a strong case to make for the public that you`ll see movement on our side. REID: Very quickly, before I let you go, your thoughts very quickly on the Derek Chauvin trial? Do you think that -- do you expect justice in this case? You`ve been a prosecutor in that state. Do you expect? What will you do? KLOBUCHAR: Yeah, well, I think you know where I am on this case. I`ve been very clear, that I felt those prosecutions had to be brought. I have faith in our Attorney General Keith Ellison. They`ve got good lawyers on the case. And I always believe that you let the evidence speak for itself in the middle of a trial. And, but right now, the jurors have been picked and the trial is going to start. And for me, my piece of it, it`s not the trial, because I won`t be in the courtroom. My piece of it is what you mentioned, Joy. And that`s my role on the Judiciary Committees to get the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act done. REID: Yeah. Senator Amy Klobuchar, thank you so much for your time tonight this evening. Really appreciate it. KLOBUCHAR: Bye-bye. REID: And up next, cheers, the tear-gassing of peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters, and the Capitol insurrection have breathed new life into Washington, D.C.`s push for statehood. Mayor Muriel Bowser will be here to tell us why making D.C. a state is more important than ever. We`ll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)REID: More than 700,000 people live in Washington, D.C. And as their license plate aptly points out, they have exactly what the country was founded against, taxation without representation. With no senators and only one delegate in the House who isn`t even able to vote on bills, D.C. also isn`t able to entirely make its own decisions. For example, during the Capitol siege, the D.C. National Guard had troops ready to deploy immediately, but it tonight more than three hours for the defense department to give the green light. Not surprisingly, there`s a history of racism behind D.C.`s second class status. For almost a full century, D.C. residents were not able to elect their own leaders. In a survey conducted by "The Washington Post" in 1966, on reversing that decision, white D.C. residents clearly articulated the racism behind the opposition, saying things like it isn`t right the nation be all colored. And they don`t have the right education to do the right job. And while, D.C., a city that`s currently 46 percent black now can elect its own leaders, the opposition from Republicans against statehood has echoed the past concerns, such as when Republican congressman in 2013 said D.C. wasn`t ready to be a state, comparing its leaders to teenagers. That Republican opposition was very much on display yesterday as the House held a hearing on statehood, with Republicans using the excuse of how Democratic D.C. is. Only 5 percent of D.C. residents voted for Trump in 2020. But beyond the GOP`s open fears about a D.C. state adding to a Democratic Senate, they`re left with ridiculous excuses. Take this argument from a legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation at yesterday`s hearing. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)ZACK SMITH, HERITAGE FOUNDATION MEESE CENTER LEGAL FELLOW: There`s no question that D.C. residents already impact the national debate. For the members here today, how many of you saw a D.C. statehood yard signs or bumper stickers or banners on the way to this hearing today? I certainly did. Where else in the nation could such simple actions reach so many members of Congress? (END VIDEO CLIP)REID: Okay, because the ability to have yard signs is exactly the same as having two senators to represent you. OK.And then there was this Georgia congressman. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)REP. JODY HICE (R-GA): D.C. would be the only state, the only state without an airport, without a car dealership, without a capital city, without a landfill. (END VIDEO CLIP)REID: OK. Actually, D.C. does have multiple car dealerships, but even if it didn`t, I can assure you the Founding Fathers did not include that as a requirement in the U.S. Constitution. With me now is Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser. Mayor Bowser, the arguments were dumb, just to be honest. The Heritage Foundation fresh off bouncing its first black woman leader, had some pretty silly arguments. Let me play -- read you one more. Here`s Mike Rounds of South Dakota saying the Founding Fathers never intended for Washington, D.C. to be a state. By the way, the reason there are two Dakotas is because they were deliberately created as two different states so Republicans could literally have four senators. Your thoughts on these arguments against D.C. statehood. MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER (D), WASHINGTON, D.C.: Well, Joy, you hit the nail right on the head. Their arguments are, they are stupid, and they show that they have run out of and we have debunked all of the arguments they used to use against that. It`s not constitutional. But HR-51 makes clear we`re still going to have a federal district. We`re too small. We`re bigger than two states and almost as big as seven. We can govern ourselves and we have one of the best-run jurisdictions, a great economy and the economy is coming back, of jurs -- all the jurisdictions of the nation, so very proud of what we can do. So, they`re left with their simple partisan arguments that I argued yesterday were rooted in the history of race, and it is a demonstration that people have long been concerned about the black political power that we`ve developed in Washington, D.C.You know, you talk to the size of the state. Let`s just put this up for everyone to look at. Washington was sort of in the middle of some of the smaller states. South Dakota barely has more people than Washington, D.C. North Dakota, again, these were supposed to be one state, but they made them two so that they can have four senators. They`re just above D.C., and then Vermont and Wyoming actually have fewer people. They have all two senators. What do you make of the attempt by one of the people arguing against statehood, saying what if we lowered your taxes, what if we just give you lower taxes, would that be enough? BOWSER: Well, you know, Joy, the people of Washington, D.C. voted on statehood. They didn`t vote to secede from the Union. They didn`t vote to shirk their taxes. They just voted to say that we need equal representation and full autonomy. We need two senators. You rightly pointed out the ridiculous argument that people can put up yard signs and that`s the same as having two senators. It`s not. The people of Washington, D.C. saw what can happen when we have nobody arguing for us in the Senate in the CARES package. We were shorted $750 million, three quarters of a billion dollars, to respond to a global pandemic. That is what it means to not be represented in the Senate. We saw Donald Trump attempt to overtake our police department. That`s what it means not to have full autonomy. And the only way we can achieve those things is through statehood. We`re full tax-paying Americans, just like New Yorkers, just like Californians, just like South Dakotans, except we don`t have two senators, and we have to correct that wrong. REID: What might have been different on January 6th if D.C. had been a state, in terms of your ability to react? BOWSER: The big difference is that the D.C. National Guard, which is not actually the D.C. National Guard is the president`s guard. The D.C. National Guard reports to the president of the United States. We know there were some delays in his approval of the guard being deployed to the Capitol building. We already had requested the guard to support D.C. streets and keep D.C. streets safe. I would have immediately deployed the guard that we`re working with my police department to the Capitol. You would not have seen that three-hour delay. REID: And would you want to see the filibuster ended, because that seems to be the only way that D.C. is going to be able to get statehood? BOWSER: I support how Senator Schumer is going to get this bill through. We make the argument, Joy, that this is as much a voting rights issue as all the voter suppression that we see around the country. Seven hundred and twelve thousand tax-paying Americans don`t have a representative, a voting representative in Congress and no senators. And that is in our view a civil rights and voting rights issue that should be undertaken with HR-1. REID: Yeah, but we will see what happens. We`re definitely going to be keeping our eyes on this one. It`s an important issue. Mayor Muriel Bowser, thank you so much for being here. And before we go, the sports world lost a legend yesterday. NBA hall of famer Elgin Baylor played 14 seasons with the Lakers beginning in 1958. "The New York Times" noted his acrobatic brilliance foreshadowed the athleticism of later generation of states. In a statement, the Lakers` CEO said: Elgin was the superstar of his era. Only three players had ever scored more points in a single. David Thompson, Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant. He was later an executive with the L.A. Clippers. Elgin Baylor died Monday with his wife and daughter by his side. And deepest condolences to them. He was 86 years old. That is tonight`s REIDOUT. And before we go to this -- this is a hard turn. I just want to wish my bestie, Kim McCray, a very happy birthday. It`s her birthday, so I told her I was going to give her a shout-out. That`s my hard turn. That is my shout-out. So, with every sort of sad and difficult story that we have, we also want something positive. So, happy birthday, Kim. "ALL IN WITH CHRIS HAYES" starts now.

###CLAIM: jackson said : `` we just have to give him the opportunity to catch the ball and a little quick gain here and there. '' ###DOCS: Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins (27) dives into the end zone as Tennessee Titans cornerback Breon Borders tries to stop him on a 2-point conversion catch during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2020, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins (27) dives into the end zone as Tennessee Titans cornerback Breon Borders tries to stop him on a 2-point conversion catch during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2020, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)The Baltimore Ravens experienced another outbreak of COVID-19 on Monday, providing an additional burden for a team thats trending downward following a 5-1 start. Coach John Harbaugh said running backs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins have tested positive for COVID-19, and injured defensive tackle Brandon Williams will be placed in quarantine for five days. All three were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. With Ingram and Dobbins out for Thursday nights game at Pittsburgh, seldom-used Justice Hill will join Gus Edwards in the Baltimore backfield. Dobbins ran for 70 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries and Ingram gained 2 yards on two attempts Sunday in a 30-24 overtime loss to Tennessee. ADVERTISEMENTThe Ravens reopened their training facility Monday afternoon after being closed earlier in the day. This is the second time the Ravens have been impacted by the coronavirus, though Harbaugh insisted that the players and the staff followed protocol before and during the game against the Titans. Thats probably the thing that gives us a chance to play this game on Thursday night, guys doing a great job of that here in the building and at the game, Harbaugh said. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey missed the Nov. 8 game against Indianapolis after a positive test, and several players spent that week on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Its been a rough month for Baltimore (6-4). The Ravens launched November with a home loss against the Steelers, a game in which 2019 All-Pro left tackle Ronnie Stanley sustained a season-ending ankle injury. Baltimore lost tight end Nick Boyle (knee) for the season in a defeat at New England, and defensive linemen Calais Campbell (calf) and Williams (ankle) were inactive against the Titans. And so, a team that went 14-2 last season to earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs now sits in third place in the AFC North after losing three of four. The Ravens trail in the race for a wild-card spot and will need to finish strong to reach the postseason for a third successive year. You have to stack wins. Wins come in bunches. Youve just got to get that one win, said defensive tackle Derek Wolfe, in his first season with Baltimore following an eight-year run with Denver. You cant get used to losing. Thats one thing: I know how that feels, and you cant get used to it.ADVERTISEMENTWHAT WENT RIGHTThe Ravens didnt want to play from behind against Tennessee, as they did in the playoffs last January in a 28-12 loss. They took care of business in that regard, taking a 21-10 lead in the third quarter. They were outscored 20-3 the rest of the way. When we went up, I felt like we just took our foot off the gas, quarterback Lamar Jackson said. WHAT NEEDS HELPBaltimores defense crumbled in the fourth quarter and overtime, in part because the absence of Campbell and Williams created a lack of depth up front. Derrick Henry rambled for 52 yards on seven carries in the fourth quarter and won it in overtime with a 29-yard touchdown run. Those first three quarters, we were playing it lights out, rookie linebacker Patrick Queen said. That last quarter, things went south.STOCK UPDez Bryant caught four passes for 28 yards, including a 16-yarder on the fourth-quarter drive that produced a field goal to force overtime. Those were his first catches in an NFL game since Dec. 31, 2017, with Dallas. Bryant adds another target for Jackson, whos had trouble recently connecting with second-year speedster Marquise Brown. STOCK DOWNBrown was supposed to flourish this season after recovering from a foot injury that slowed him as a rookie. He got off to a decent start as did the Ravens but Brown has only six catches for 55 yards in his last four games and was held without a reception by Tennessee. We want him to be a huge part of the offense, Harbaugh said. Weve got to find ways to get that done.Jackson said, We just have to give him opportunities to catch the ball, give him little quick gains here and there. The defense is already playing back off of him.INJURIESHarbaugh said hes sure hopeful that Campbell can return from a two-week absence to face the Steelers, and offensive lineman Tyre Phillips (ankle) has been designated to return from injured reserve after missing three-plus games. KEY NUMBER7 Thats how many yards Ingram has gained on the ground over the past two games after missing two games with an ankle injury. Ingram ran for 1,018 yards last year but has recently been overshadowed by Dobbins and Edwards. NEXT STEPSThe Ravens have little hope of catching the Steelers (10-0) in the AFC North, but a victory would be huge for Baltimore before heading into a season-ending, five-game stretch that includes four teams with losing records. The Ravens also have a rematch with the Browns, whom they beat 38-6 in September. ___More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL Two players on the Baltimore Ravens have tested positive for the coronavirus, the team announced Monday. Head coach John Harbaugh identified the two players during a press conference as running backs J.K. Dobbins and Mark Ingram. Both players tested positive Sunday night following a 30-24 overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans. Dobbins and Ingram immediately began self-quarantining, the team said in a statement. The Ravens announced earlier Monday that the team's facilities would be closed and all activities would be conducted virtually while the organization went through its contact tracing protocols. The practice facility had reopened by the time of Monday's press conference, Harbaugh said. J.K. Dobbins carries the ball on October 18, 2020, in Philadelphia. Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire via GettyThe Ravens are dealing with a quick turnaround this week, as they are scheduled to play division rival the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night. As of now, the game is still scheduled to go on as planned. "We're just carrying forward with our normal schedule at this point and working hard and getting ready for a big challenge Thursday night against the undefeated Steelers," Harbaugh said. The Titans have not announced any new positive tests or changes to their schedule this week following Sunday's game against the Ravens. Earlier in the season, the NFL postponed the Titans' week four matchup, coincidentally also against the Steelers, after multiple team members and personnel tested positive for COVID-19.

###CLAIM: in comparison with 6 people registered as deaths in covidren in the same time last week, data from the last weekdepartment of health shows the number of recorded deaths has been slashed in the last week as a second wave of pandemic remains. ###DOCS: AdvertisementBritain is planning to boost Covid vaccine production at home to avoid other countries slowing down its progress with export bans and delivery delays, ministers say. The UK's jab rollout was thrown into chaos this week after the EU threatened to stop Pfizer exporting jabs from its factory in Belgium. Number 10 is also in a standoff with the India over 5million missing AstraZeneca doses, with the Government today confirming it was in talks with New Delhi about getting the jabs roll-out back on track. Now Downing Street is looking at ways to make the country reliant on domestic jab production in preparation for future booster shots the British public are expected to need this autumn and in future winters, cabinet sources told The Times. Most of AstraZeneca's 100million doses are being made in Britain across factories in Oxford, Keele and Wrexham. Fatty molecules used in Pfizer's vaccine are also produced in the UK but the final jab is put together in Belgium, before being transported back over. Ministers could look to pay drug companies in the UK to make it. A mammoth 200million vaccine-making facility is due to open later this year in Oxfordshire, which will go some way to achieve the ambition. The revelation that plans are in motion behind the scenes came as ministers scrambled to defuse the standoff with India over the missing AstraZeneca doses, with No10 holding secret talks with New Delhi to get the roll-out back on track. Matt Hancock yesterday admitted a delayed shipment from the Serum Institute of India was a key factor in shortages that will slow the campaign down next month, meaning millions of over-40s will have to wait until May to get their first dose. But in front of the entire nation last night, Boris Johnson who is due to travel to India in the coming months to secure a lucrative post-Brexit trade deal claimed Narenda Modis government had not stopped any exports. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden today waded into the confusion and repeated the claims of the Prime Minister, saying India was not withholding vaccines and that the SII had some supply issues. Asked if Mr Modis administration was blocking exports, Mr Dowden told LBC: No. India is not withholding vaccines, and I pay tribute to the work of the Serum Institute. They have had some supply issues with 5million doses.But the boss of the SII yesterday said no further doses would be sent to Britain until the Indian Government gave the go ahead. He also said there was no shortage and claimed it had never made a deal to supply the full 10million doses within any given time frame. Whitehall sources said there was a constructive dialogue under way to work through issues with counterparts in New Delhi. No10 did not deny it was in secret talks with Indian government officials when asked about the matter today, only saying 'we are in constant contact with all manufacturers'. But the roll-out isnt just being hampered by supply issues from India which ministers seemingly hoped would allow for the vaccine drive to carry on while dishing out millions of second doses. Another 1.7million doses have been delayed because of the need to re-test a large batch already in the UK. And ministers have suggested that moving all vaccine manufacturing to the UK will be 'key' in future, so that the country is not so reliant on other nations honouring their contracts. Despite concerns that the roll-out could be held up in the face of shortages with Tory MPs accusing No10 of over-promising, Government insiders havent ruled out moving onto people in their forties in the coming weeks. The UK deal with Serum in India was announced on March 2 but Mr Poonawalla had warned ten days earlier that supplies were not running smoothly. Pictured: A map of vaccine manufacturing sites across Europe and India'Professor Lockdown' Neil Ferguson (left), an Imperial College London epidemiologist whose grim modelling spooked ministers into the first blanket shutdown last March, dismissed fears that the hold-up could threaten plans to ease lockdown. The big vaccine supply moves come as one of the Governments top scientific advisers insisted today that Britains vaccine in shortage in April wont hamper the UKs inoculation drive. Professor Lockdown Neil Ferguson, an Imperial College London epidemiologist whose grim modelling spooked ministers into the first blanket shutdown last March, dismissed fears that the hold-up could threaten plans to ease lockdown. He told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: 'I don't think the delay will have an enormous effect. Europe folds over AstraZeneca jab Germany, France and Italy are among ten European countries to have announced the resumption of AstraZeneca Covid vaccines in a humiliating u-turn after medical chiefs ruled the jab was not dangerous. EU leaders were forced to make the humiliating climbdown after the European Medicines Agency said in a press conference that the AstraZeneca jab is not linked to blood clots. After the EMA's announcement a raft of European countries said they would soon resume vaccinations, including Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia and Bulgaria. However, despite the report, both Sweden and Norway have decided to keep a ban on the jab in place for a few more days. Despite the widespread u-turn, Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, said the decision to pause use of the Oxford jab in some European countries was likely to 'translate into many, many lives lost due to Covid'. He told Times Radio: 'Because of this delay, and because of the uncertainty now of the vaccine in some people's minds...I think it will probably run to thousands of lives that have been lost.' In Italy, there are fears the AstraZeneca row could strengthen opposition to the campaign in a country where so-called anti-vaxxer sentiment was already widespread. A survey published Wednesday asked respondents if the affair had damaged their confidence in vaccines, to which 49 percent answered yes. Government sources also revealed that the suspension of the AstraZeneca jabs meant around 200,000 fewer vaccinations this week. Italy became the first nation to announce a humiliating u-turn following the EMA's report, with Prime Minister Mario Draghi announcing this evening that it will be restarting the use AstraZeneca vaccines tomorrow afternoon. Draghi said in a statement today: 'The administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine will resume tomorrow. The government's priority remains to carry out as many vaccinations as possible in the shortest possible time.' However, Sweden and Norway will keep the ban for the time being despite the report. John Carlson, of the Swedish Public Health Agency, said: 'The Public Health Agency needs a few days to analyse the situation and how the AstraZeneca vaccine can be used in Sweden. Next week we will say the position we are taking on the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.' The Norwegian Institute of Public Health said it 'took note' of the EMA's ruling, but it was 'premature' to draw conclusions and it would announce its own opinion by the end of next week. Emer Cooke, the chief of the EMA, told a press conference on Thursday: 'This is a safe and effective vaccine. When you vaccinate millions of people, it's inevitable that rare or serious instances of illnesses will occur in the time immediately following the vaccination.' Advertisement'We'll still have enough vaccine to largely continue with the programme.' He said of bigger concern was the South African variant of Covid-19, adding: 'Overall, I'm optimistic with this one caveat that we do need to keep these variants of concern at bay. 'Until we can update the vaccine, rolled out the vaccine and really hopefully the whole adult population which will be this summer, at that point we'll be in a much safer position.' Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said the road map out of lockdown was not affected by supply issues, but added there was still not a 'full picture' of data on schools returning. 'The road map is not affected, so at the moment, we remain on course for the next easing on (March) 29,' he told LBC. 'It is worth bearing in mind though, we still need to fully analyse the effect of schools returning. We don't see any problems at the moment but we won't get a full picture for a while. 'If there is concerns around that, obviously we would have to review the dates.' He said that India was not 'withholding vaccines' from the UK following issues with supply. Asked if India's government was withholding vaccine exports, he said: 'No, India is not withholding vaccines, and I pay tribute to the work of the Serum Institute. 'They have had some supply issues with five million doses, as the Prime Minister and the Health Secretary outlined yesterday. 'But we always knew that there would be ups and downs and that is part of our planning assumptions, that's why we have been relatively cautious, for example with the road map for getting out of lockdown.' And another professor leading Covid-19 vaccine research at Imperial College London said the supply difficulties are 'manageable', but that the rollout of second doses will cause further delays. Robin Shattock told Sky News that current supply difficulties will have an impact over the next 'few weeks'. He said: 'What's going to have much more of an impact on rollout is that now people are due their second dose... everybody who's had their single dose will require their second dose. 'It's unrealistic to imagine the first dose rollout will be as fast because we'll have to catch up with the second doses.' Professor Shattock added: 'There are always going to be delays and bumps in the road and the reality is we are moving faster than most countries in the world and we're using vaccines as soon as it's coming off the production line. 'So there is a vulnerability there but that is the reality we're working in, and if there's a hold up at any point, there will be some delay, but it is manageable.' The delays have led ministers to conclude that as the country begins planning how to scale up manufacturing for booster Covid shots that are expected to be needed over the next two years at least, moving all production to British shores will prevent the country relying on other nations to honour their contracts. A cabinet minister told The Times: 'Domestic production is key.' Matt Hancock insisted the shortfall would not hit the Government's target to vaccinate all adults by the end of July and would also not delay the lifting of the lockdown. But Downing Street did not deny a suggestion from the head of the Serum Institute of India (SII) that the Indian government was temporarily blocking exports of the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab. Its chief executive Adar Poonawalla said no further doses would be sent to Britain until the Indian government gave the go-ahead. 'There is no vaccine shortage,' he added. 'There was never a commitment to supplying doses to the UK in any stipulated time. We just said we will offer our help. 'India has allowed five million doses to go to the UK. The balance will be decided to be given to the UK at an appropriate time by the Indian government, while balancing India and all its needs.' The countries in green have already reinstated the AstraZeneca vaccine while those in red have yet to make an announcement or say that they will not immediately restart the jabs. Those in orange banned a particular batch of doses, while the countries in grey - including the UK - remained unmoved by the blood clot fears all alongThe Serum Institute's chief executive Adar Poonawalla (right) said no further doses would be sent to Britain until the Indian government gave the go-aheadAs many as 25.7million people in England have been vaccinated against the virus as the jabs roll-out steams ahead. Almost 470,000 first doses were dished out today, alongside more than 100,000 second doses'Thousands of lives' needlessly lost to EU's petty politics: Experts condemn deaths caused by AstraZeneca jab ban Europe's rush to ban the AstraZeneca vaccine over sporadic reports of blood clots may have cost 'thousands' of lives, experts have said, as EU regulators gave their definitive verdict that the jab is safe and effective. A series of countries including Germany, France and Italy have already U-turned and said they will resume AstraZeneca shots after EU safety experts said there was no increased risk of blood clots. But Peter Openshaw, a professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, said the temporary stoppage in more than a dozen EU countries was likely to 'translate into many, many lives lost due to Covid'. 'Because of this delay, and because of the uncertainty now of the vaccine in some people's minds...I think it will probably run to thousands of lives that have been lost,' he told Times Radio. Italy has already had to scrap 200,000 injections because of the AstraZeneca delay, while a survey published this week found that 49 per cent of Italians had their confidence in vaccines shaken by the furore. German immunologist Carsten Watzl warned of more deaths after tens of thousands of appointments were missed - urging people to take AstraZeneca's jab rather than wait for the Pfizer/BioNTech one co-developed in Germany. And the delays will continue in Norway, Denmark and Sweden where authorities have said they will continue their own investigations despite the EU, WHO, UK and AstraZeneca's findings that the jab is safe. Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia and Bulgaria have all said they will resume vaccinations, as a third wave of infections gathers momentum on much of the continent. France announced new lockdown measures for Paris last night while the Czech Republic has extended its own shutdown until Easter as vaccines come too slowly to keep the EU's 447million people safe. AdvertisementAsked when the UK would get its remaining doses, he added: 'It is solely dependent on India and it has nothing to do with the SII. It is to do with the Indian government allowing more doses to the UK.' The UK deal with Serum was announced on March 2 but Mr Poonawalla had warned ten days earlier that supplies were not running smoothly. On February 21, he wrote on Twitter: 'Dear countries & governments, as you await COVISHIELD supplies [the Indian name for the Oxford/AZ jab], I humbly request you to please be patient. 'Serum has been directed to prioritise the huge needs of India and along with that balance the needs of the rest of the world. We are trying our best.' Yesterday, Mr Hancock heaped praise on the SII, which has already delivered five million doses to the UK, saying he wanted to 'put on record my gratitude to the Serum Institute of India for the incredible work that they're doing producing vaccines not just for us in the UK, but for the whole world'. Covid cases also fell seven per cent in a week. There were a further 6,303 cases identified today. For comparison, 6,753 were registered at the same time last weekDepartment of Health data showed the number of Covid deaths recorded has halved in a week, as the second wave of the pandemic remained in retreat. There were 95 recorded today compared to 181 last ThursdayMore proof jabs work: Israel reports deaths and cases continuing to fall Israel reports that coronavirus deaths and cases are continuing to fall even after restrictions were eased as the country unlocks following its world-leading vaccination drive. Around 60% of Israel's adult population has had their first Covid jab and the country's R rate is now at 0.68, below the 0.8 threshold which signifies the pandemic is in decline. Health minister Yuli Edelstein hailed the news on Thursday as the nation prepared for the easing of more restrictions on Friday. He said: 'With all caution, I am starting to believe that we are not going back. In the past, to get such data, we needed a strict lockdown. 'Now, everything is open and all the indices are falling. I am beginning to believe that the difficult times are behind us.' AdvertisementBoris Johnson, who is due to travel to India in the coming months, also played down the issue, saying the Indian government had 'not stopped any exports'. He told a No 10 briefing yesterday: 'There is a delay, but this is by no means the end of the story of the UK's relationship with SII. We hope to make further progress over the weeks and months ahead.' However, British officials are understood to have opened diplomatic talks with prime minister Narendra Modi's government about lifting restrictions on exports to the UK. A Whitehall source said there was a 'constructive dialogue under way to work through issues' with counterparts in New Delhi. Asked if the Government is in talks with India, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'We're in constant contact with other governments around the world.' The tightening of restrictions on exports from India is thought to have been prompted by a spike in cases on the subcontinent. Mr Hancock said next month's supplies had also been hit by the need to re-test a batch of 1.7 million doses of the vaccine. 'Events like this are to be expected in a manufacturing endeavour of this complexity and this shows the rigour of our safety checks,' he said. The Health Secretary said second doses for people would be prioritised in April, and there would also be some first doses, but he did not make clear for which groups. 'There will be no weeks in April with no first doses,' he said. 'There will be no cancelled appointments as a result of supply issues second doses will go ahead as planned.' Meet India's 'Prince of Vaccines' behind the drugs supply behemothKnown as the 'Prince of Vaccines', Adar Poonawalla is so rich that his personal office is a converted Airbus A320. His Mumbai home has featured in the pages of Vogue, his art collection includes works by Van Gogh and Picasso, and he converted a Mercedes into a Batmobile for his son's sixth birthday. The 40-year-old chief executive of the Serum Institute of India can boast that his company is the biggest vaccine manufacturer in the world by number of doses produced and sold. An estimated two-thirds of children worldwide have received a jab from the company, including the polio vaccine, MMR and BCG injections. Mr Poonawalla (left), pictured with his wife Natasha Poonawalla last year, is the chief executive of the world's largest vaccine manufacturer - India's Serum InstituteBut Serum began as a simple idea dreamed up by his father, Cyrus. The racehorse breeder realised his horses could provide life-saving products. When retired animals were injected with a small amount of venom or bacteria, their serum the fluid part of the blood produced anti-venom for snake bites and tetanus antitoxin, which Indians desperately needed. The Serum Institute, established in 1966, moved on to tetanus vaccines and other jabs that were scarce and had to be imported at high prices. Cyrus Poonawalla is now reportedly India's sixth richest man, worth more than 9billion. Such has been the firm's success that the firm aims to produce more than a billion doses of coronavirus vaccine a year. Poonawalla's Mumbai home has featured in the pages of Vogue, his art collection includes works by Van Gogh and Picasso, and he converted a Mercedes into a Batmobile (pictured) for his son's sixth birthdayPrime minister Narendra Modi boasts that India is now 'pharmacy to the world'. Adar, who is married to businesswoman, philanthropist and fashionista Natasha, attended the University of Westminster in London. He told the BBC this week: 'The pressure on Serum Institute is unprecedented. 'We're being tugged at by different governments in the world, we need to support AstraZeneca for the countries that they need to supply vaccines to, and we're being literally forced to supply as much product to the Indian government as well.' What else can we expect from a leader so vain he named a vast stadium after himself, writes MARK ALMOND of Narendra ModiAs if the spat between Britain and the EU over Brussels' erratic attempts to control vaccine supplies wasn't bad enough, India has now dealt a body blow to the idea that we should all be cooperating in the global fight against the virus. The decision to block vaccine exports by the Indian government led by the vain Narendra Modi, who seems increasingly bent on becoming prime minister for life is an act of blatant populism. And it has placed Boris Johnson in a very difficult position. Only on Tuesday in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister was talking up Anglo-Indian relations. 'I am delighted to announce that I will visit India next month to strengthen our friendship with the world's biggest democracy,' he told MPs. Mr Modi's display of vaccine nationalism the country is the largest vaccine producer in the world is a strange way of repaying that friendship. The decision to block vaccine exports by the Indian government led by the vain Narendra Modi, who seems increasingly bent on becoming prime minister for life is an act of blatant populismAfter all, it drives a coach and horses through a legally binding contract between AstraZeneca and the British government on the supply of vaccines, and can only foster mistrust in future negotiations. Earlier this month, Mr Modi's India spearheaded an attempt to persuade the World Trade Organisation to lift patents on vaccines, so that poorer countries could manufacture them at cost without paying premiums to big Western pharmaceutical brands. The idea was rebuffed, and it seems India has now blocked exports in response. Never mind that AstraZeneca, unlike other drug companies, was selling its vaccine at cost price anyway. Mr Modi, pictured, was already annoyed with Britain after Labour, Liberal Democrat and Scottish National Party MPs criticised his government over its treatment of Indian farmers protesting against agricultural reforms in the country. Only on Tuesday in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister was talking up Anglo-Indian relations. Mr Johnson (pictured with Narendra Modi at 2019's G7 summit) is set to travel to India next monthAfter all, it drives a coach and horses through a legally binding contract between AstraZeneca and the British government on the supply of vaccines, and can only foster mistrust in future negotiationsThe protests have dominated headlines and social media in India. The government's response has been to shut down internet sites concerning the protests, to arrest protesters and sympathisers as well as journalists and to use tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds. The fact that so many of the protesting farmers are from the Sikh and Muslim minorities also shows the sinister sectarian side of Mr Modi's political agenda. He appeals to Hindu nationalists and his policies seem bent on subordinating the non-Hindu minorities who make up a large proportion of the population. Heavy-handed tactics like those meted out against the protesters and their supporters have come to be hallmarks of Mr Modi's style of governance, where state power is used to intimidate and stifle critics. Ever since he was elected in 2014, the vast Indian sub-continent has increasingly become a political one-man show. Cricket-lovers will have noted that some of the recent India v England games were played in Ahmedabad's newly renamed, 110,000-capacity Modi Stadium. Only North Korea's capital has a bigger arena and even that is not named after a living leader! And while Donald Trump may have plastered his name over his hotels and golf courses, that was before he became US president. Thousands of spectators were allowed to watch the early games against England at the Modi stadium. But the remaining matches are being played behind closed doors following a spike in Covid cases which doubtless encouraged the government to block vaccine exports. Yet the fact is that Modi is democratically elected. And that is what places Mr Johnson in such an invidious situation. Because Britain sees an alliance with democratic India as crucial in curbing the belligerence of the other gigantic state in the Indo-Pacific region China, a one-party dictatorship run by an unabashed dictator. This is a major factor behind our PM's planned visit. Along with the US, Japan and Australia, Britain wants India to rein in China although it would, of course, pose an immediate security threat to India along the Himalayan border it shares with the country. There is also India's possible role as an alternative supply chain for vital products instead of China. Last year's hugely expensive fiasco of relying on China for PPE for health and care workers should have taught us the importance of finding alternative sources for such goods. In any choice between India and China there is no doubt the British people's instinctive sympathy will be with India. The trouble is that Mr Modi's vaccine nationalism will sour attitudes. If he seems too erratic a leader to rely on for vital supplies to our health service, doubts about his dependability as an ally will grow. A rapidly developing and securely democratic India should be welcomed by everyone. But its rumbustious multi-party traditions along with the country's staggering global potential are in jeopardy from a high-handed prime minister contemptuous not only of opposition but friends at home and abroad. Mark Almond is director of the Crisis Research Institute, Oxford The health secretary is not concerned about an NHS warning that a 'significant reduction' of vaccine supplies could leave people under the age of 50 waiting an extra month for their first shot. Playing down the importance of what he described as a 'normal operational letter', Matt Hancock said the government's plan to offer every adult a vaccine by the end of July had not changed. 'Vaccine supply is always lumpy,' he said. 'These supply schedules have moved up and down throughout this whole rollout it's absolutely par for the course.'

###CLAIM: he doesn't have the illusion that mitch and mcconnell gave him some kind of honeymoon to do this kind of stuff, because they wanted to. ###DOCS: Subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts for the full episode. When I look at the Biden transition team assembling, I get major flashbacks to the beginnings of the Obama administrationthe dire economic news, the talk about healing partisan divides, a general feeling of elation and dread, swirled together. Democrats had majorities in the House and the Senate back then, and they managed to pass the 2009 stimulus package, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, less than a month after Barack Obama was inaugurated. Now, with COVID, Biden will need to do it all over againbut very possibly without a Senate majority. On Wednesdays episode of What Next, I talked to Politicos Mike Grunwald about what Biden and his team can learn from their last stimulus battle and what to expect from the next one. This transcript of our conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMary Harris: The biggest challenge for Biden is going to be the coronavirus. What are the signals the Biden campaign is sending about how hes planning to approach this problem, both economically and health-wise? Mike Grunwald: The two things to know about Biden as he prepares to deal with either a Republican Senate or a completely divided Senate is that he is a deal-maker, but he is also not a fool. He is going to be looking to find some kind of compromise with [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell. He was the Obama administrations sort of designated McConnell whisperer. He was the one they sent to go talk to Mitch. How did that happen? Biden was the one who spent all those years in the Senate. Biden was the one who had the relationship with Mitch McConnell where they feel like they can talk honestly with each other. And Biden does not try to convince McConnell of anything. He knows that McConnell is McConnell. Biden was very much about whats a gettable deal, whats your bottom line, where can we find some common ground, and where are we just going to have to agree to disagree? AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe relationship between Mitch McConnell and Joe Bidensome people have characterized it as friendly. President Obama recently said they were not friends, but they knew each other. I wonder how you would characterize it. Businesslike. Thats just the way its going to be. The order came down from the top. If Obama was for it, weve got to be against it. And that made it very difficult to cut deals, but there were still deals that Biden managed to cut because there were fiscal cliffs and debt ceilings and things that just had to be negotiated, and Biden was the guy who did it. Hes not going to have any illusions that hes going to have some kind of honeymoon where Mitch McConnell is going to give him a year to do the kind of stuff he wants to do. But there may be things that hes able to pick off a few Republicans, like he did on the original stimulus. And there may be things where he may be able to work out some kind of larger deal. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBidens right-hand man is going to be a guy named Ron Klain, and hes been around Joe Biden for a very long time. Who is he, and what do you think his approach might be? Ron Klain worked for Biden on the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he really ran that. He was Vice President Gores chief of staff. He became kind of famous during the Florida recounthe was overseeing the Democratic lawyers. And then he was Vice President Bidens chief of staff and he ran the Recovery Act. He was considered just an excellent manager, really rode herd. They had a nice sort of one-two punch, where Biden every day was on the phone with governors and mayors, Republicans and Democrats, saying, Youve got to get the money moving, Youve got to do this, Youve got to do that, and then Ron was really in charge of the follow-up. Ron was in charge of making sure that everything Biden said happened. AdvertisementAdvertisementIf anybody can cut these deals, Biden is probably that guy. Mike GrunwaldIm wondering how negotiating the stimulus deal back in 2009 changed Klains perspective on Washington. He saw the way the Republicans turned against things like infrastructure, unemployment benefits, even small-business tax cuts, things that had never been controversial in the past. Republicans, including Mike Pence, saw their opportunity to get out of the political wilderness was just pure obstructionism. To fight Obama on everything. Obama had promised that he was going to be a post-partisan president, and by refusing to cooperate, Republicans could make him a liar. AdvertisementNow, Joe Biden has run again on trying to turn down the temperature in Washington to unify the country, were all going to get along. And he cant control that. The Republicans get a vote, and if they dont want him to be a bipartisan leader, he wont be. So I think thats something that Klain is already concerned about, and hes going to be somebody whos certainly looking for deals, but is also going to be trying to make the bureaucracy work in case there are no legislative opportunitieswhat can we do just through the executive branch? AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt makes you wonder whether this time around theyre really thinking about doing it differently. One of my favorite stimulus storiesthis is actually even before Obama took officethere was a big meeting in Chicago with his economic and political team and they were talking about how to put the stimulus together. Rahm Emanuel, the chief of staff then, who was a real political guy, he said, Lets just send everybody checks, like Bush had done before and Trump would do later. But the economists on the team said, Well, theres behavioral economics research that shows that if you just give people a big chunk of money, theyre more likely to save it and less likely to spend it, because when they notice it, they say, Oh, Ive got to put this money away, so its better if they dont notice it. And Obama was very were going to do the right thing, were not going to be political. So they did that, and they just dribbled it out through withholding a few dollars a week. And it was kind of effective, but nobody noticed it. Ninety-five percent of the country got a tax cut, and less than 10 percent of the country was aware they got a tax cut. And thats pretty lousy politics. Its sort of like sending your romantic interest roses, but forgetting to sign the note. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOver the last week or so, the situation with COVID has become so dire around the country, and it seems like the current president, Trump, is so disinclined to act, that I wonder if by the time Biden assumes office, dithering wont be an option. Dithering is always an option. [laughs] This was very much the thinking in 2009: We are losing 800,000 jobs a month. We are about to fall into a depression. Surely the Republicans are going to play. But they didnt. And it was only really Joe Biden who rode Amtrak every day with Arlen Specter and managed to convince him to come along. He called Susan Collins two dozen times during a one-month period. There she was in Caribou, Maine, constantly very spotty cell service. But Biden really worked it. And thats really what he does. AdvertisementAdvertisementI think if anybody can cut these deals, Biden is probably that guy. But people should understand that hes going to have to give stuff away. They had this big idea for a $10 billion school construction project in the 2009 stimulus, and Susan Collins didnt like it, so it wasnt in there. Arlen Specter insisted, OK, you can have my vote, but you have to spend $10 billion on the National Institutes of Health. So they were like, fine, well do $10 billion for NIH. And then it turned out that every time Republicans found out about some NIH study where they were testing teen sex habits or seeing how monkeys react to cocaine, it would be front-page news for a week, like Ha ha ha, the stimulus is funding cocaine monkeys. But as Ron Klain pointed out, if we didnt have the cocaine monkeys, we wouldnt have had tax cuts and roads. So theres going to be compromise. Its going to be stuff that people dont like. Biden is a guy whos not going to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. And it remains to be seen whether the Democratic base is willing to accept that.

###CLAIM: banning unnecessary travel across the border lifted restrictions placed at the outset of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in march 2020 which hit travel industries in both countries. ###DOCS: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Sunday that discussions with President Joe Biden regarding the lifting of COVID-19 border restrictions between the United States and Canada have not yet resulted in a deal. Trudeau announced during a press conference he had spoken with the U.S. president about lifting the ban on nonessential travel across the border, a restriction first implemented at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020 that has hit the travel industry in both countries. "We will continue to work closely together on moving forward in the right way, but each of us always will put at the forefront the interests and the safety of our own citizens," Trudeau said during the press conference. CANADA OPEN TO RESETTLING CENTRAL AMERICANS ARRIVING AT US-MEXICO BORDERResidents in Canada and the U.S. have raised concerns about the travel ban, which has affected major industries such as airlines and other businesses that depend on travel. Meanwhile, the southern border of the U.S. has seen the largest influx of migrants from Latin American countries in two decades, which those on the Right say is due to the Biden administration's decision to relax the stricter immigration policies imposed by the Trump administration. Despite the pandemic restriction barring travel between Canada and the U.S., Canadian Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino said on Wednesday the country is open to welcoming refugees from Central America by taking some of the hundreds of thousands who have sought refuge in the U.S. Some U.S. states have been critical of the Biden administration's handling of the surge, with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey calling on other states to send aid to the southern border amid the "emergency" there. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINERAbbott claimed on March 4 the Biden administration's immigration policy of housing migrants in temporary camps along the southern border was essentially "importing" the COVID-19 virus into the country. White House press secretary Jen Psaki sought to clarify Customs and Border Protection's handling of potentially infected migrants at the border, saying the policy is to have migrants tested "before they are even moved to go stay with family members or others they may know while their cases are being adjudicated."

###CLAIM: several planes are expected to fly over a separate memorial ceremony for the father on his birthday this week. ###DOCS: LYNCHBURG, Va. Alfred Thomas Farrar, a former Tuskegee Airman, died on Thursday in Virginia only days before a ceremony planned to honor his service in the program that famously trained Black military pilots during World War II. He was 99. Farrars son, Roy, told The Associated Press on Sunday that his father died at his Lynchburg home. Alfred Farrar would have turned 100 years old on Dec. 26. Farrar left his Lynchburg hometown for Tuskegee, Alabama, after graduating from high school to began his aviation training in 1941. It was the next best thing to do, Farrar had told The News & Advance in a story that ran last week. Farrar learned to be a pilot during his time in U.S. Army Air Corps program but didnt fly any combat missions overseas, according to his son. Roy Farrar said he was proud of his fathers service but doesnt remember him having much to say about his time as a Tuskegee Airman. It was just something that he did at the time, that was needed at the time, Roy Farrar said. After his discharge in 1943, Alfred Farrar studied to be an aerospace engineer and worked as an engineer with the Federal Aviation Administration for four decades. WFXR-TV reports that the Lynchburg Area Veterans Council plans to honor Farrar and his service during the councils troop rally on Christmas Day. In spite of tremendous discrimination, these young American men and women served their nation with distinction and opened the door of opportunity for many other Americans, the council said in a statement. Roy Farrar said several planes are expected to fly over a separate memorial ceremony for his father on his birthday this week. Follow NBCBLK on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. One of the famed Tuskegee Airmen the first Black pilots in the segregated U.S. military and among the most respected fighter pilots of World War II has died from complications of the coronavirus, it was announced Friday. Theodore Lumpkin Jr. was just days short of his 101st birthday. Lumpkin, a Los Angeles native, died Dec. 26, according to a statement from Los Angeles City College, which he attended from 1938 to 1940. Lumpkin was drafted in 1942 and assigned to the 100th Fighter Squadron in Tuskegee, Alabama. The Tuskegee Airmen escorted bombers in Europe. Lumpkin wasn't a pilot because his eyesight wasn't good enough, but he served as an intelligence officer who briefed pilots on missions, according to the Los Angeles Times, which confirmed his death through his son, Theodore Lumpkin III. Lumpkins wife, Georgia, told the Times that he didnt talk much about his experiences with the airmen. NYC CLINIC FRUSTRATED BY CUOMO'S VACCINATION GUIDELINES GETS APPROVAL TO DISTRIBUTE UNUSED DOSES"We were married for a number of years until I heard about them," she said. "When I realized who these guys were and what theyd done, I was just overcome at how much they persevered. They did not bow down. They achieved things that detractors said they couldnt, werent capable of doing." After the war, he earned an undergraduate sociology degree at the University of Southern California, became a social worker with Los Angeles County and after retiring went into a second career in real estate. In 2007, the Tuskegee Airmen were collectively awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. He also was among the surviving airmen invited to attend the inauguration of Barack Obama in 2009. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPLumpkin is survived by his wife, two sons, a daughter, several grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

###CLAIM: daca, by offering temporary protection to certain immigrants, faces another legal challenge from texas and 8 other states. ###DOCS: The DACA program, which offers temporary protections to certain immigrants, is facing another legal challenge, this time from Texas and eight other states. Texas and eight other Republican-led states will ask a federal court on Tuesday to rule the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program unlawful, posing a fresh threat to the Obama -era program offering deportation protections to young immigrants that has been the subject of legal battles for the past few years. The Trump administration first attempted to end the program, known as DACA, in September 2017, but it was blocked by federal courts. The Supreme Court ruled in June that it hadnt taken the proper steps to do so, and after several additional months of legal wrangling, the government began accepting new applications for the program for the first time in more than three years.

###CLAIM: pat, iran and berger only occasionally stretched the goalkeeper but keeping claire out with powerful volleys was one of the most notable aspects of scotland 's final pre-retirement endeavours, as was the determined defensive performances of ingrid, moe and wold. ###DOCS: A wet and windy Kingsmeadow proved the backdrop to the final act of the womens season as, fittingly, Chelsea finished the campaign on a high. Although Everton made them work hard at times, goals from Guro Reiten, Sam Kerr and Drew Spence ensured Emma Hayess side booked their place in the last eight of the FA Cup. It may seem strange to break for the summer immediately after a rescheduled fifth-round tie but Covid-prompted postponements have dictated that the competitions latest edition straddles two seasons, with the quarter-finals not taking place until late September. Chelsea had hoped to welcome fans back to Kingsmeadow on Thursday night but the forced rearrangement of a tie delayed by the home sides involvement in last Sundays Champions League final against Barcelona in Gothenburg meant supporters re-admittance was logistically impossible. It made for a rather flat start during which Hayess team played with the air of a side still dazed and disorientated by their 4-0 dismembering at Barcas hands. Chelseas Womens Super League-winning manager is expected to sign a new contract at the London club this summer and, given her sides domestic omnipotence, few would bet against Hayes presiding over an FA Cup triumph in Decembers Wembley final. What a great group, she enthused. Sunday hurt, we didnt hide that but theres really no shame to having a silver medal from a Champions League final. Not many players have one. Its a beautiful medal.Despite that tentative, slightly shaky opening Chelsea, reconfigured by Hayes in a 3-4-3 formation, began pulling themselves together. Suddenly Everton were no longer winning so many second balls, no longer pressing their opponents into submission. Finally, when Megan Finnigan proved powerless to prevent Kerr squaring to Reiten, the Norway midfielders ensuing low, left-footed shot evaded Sandy MacIvers reach. As a gusty, capricious wind gathered force, Chelseas midfield gained some much-needed composure in the face of Jill Scotts relentless harrying. The veteran England midfielder is on loan at Everton from Manchester City and for a while her experience afforded Willie Kirks fifth-placed WSL finishers a streetwise nous. Yet despite Scotts best endeavours and a determined defensive performance from Ingrid Moe Wold in her final game before retirement, Hayess goalkeeper, Ann-Katrin Berger, was only occasionally stretched, most notably when keeping out Claire Emslies powerful volley. The impressive MacIver was somewhat busier. If she was relieved when Beth England hit the woodwork from 30 yards she looked positively delighted as, shortly before half time, England glanced a header home only to see the effort disallowed for offside. Evertons Gabby George won some important defensive challenges one on Kerr will linger in the memory as she and Finnigan attempted to stem the blue tide. When that pair were bypassed, MacIver came to the rescue, spreading herself impeccably to prevent Kerr scoring, while the crossbar came between Millie Bright and a spectacularly dipping long-range goal. MacIver has already won one England cap and demonstrated precisely why when she reacted smartly to save Kerrs goal-bound effort with her foot. That reprieve seemed to galvanise Everton and they would surely have equalised through a Jessica Carter own goal if it were not for Bergers superior reflexes. The visitors were aggrieved after England appeared to catch George late in the area but the referee, Kirsty Dowle, rejected their penalty appeals. Indignation turned to resignation when Rikke Seveckes slack defensive header dropped to Kerr, and the Australian beat MacIver with a fabulous half-volley. Chelseas place in next Fridays quarter-final draw was secure and all that remained was for Spence to step off the bench, meet Kerrs audacious chip and direct a header into the back of the net. No matter that it took a slight deflection off Sorensen, Spence was claiming it. We need to polish up on our playing identity and turn a positive and competitive culture into a winning culture, said Kirk, who is aiming for a top-three finish next season. Its a case of small tweaks.

###CLAIM: the engines, which put on a spectacular evening sky show as the rocket races past a rising mars and lines up on a northeast trajectory parallel to the east coast, appeared to be operating flawlessly as the thicker atmosphere climbed out. ###DOCS: Recovering from a last-second October 2 launch abort, SpaceX successfully fired off the same Falcon 9 rocket Thursday night, boosting a third-generation Global Positioning System navigation satellite into orbit for the U.S. Space Force. The nine Merlin 1D engines in the rocket's first stage, including two replacement engines, roared to life at 6:24 p.m. ET, pushing the slender 229-foot-tall Falcon 9 away from pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station atop a brilliant jet of flaming exhaust. The engines appeared to operate flawlessly as the rocket climbed out of the thick lower atmosphere, putting on a spectacular evening sky show as it raced past a rising Mars and lined up on a northeasterly trajectory paralleling the East Coast. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, grounded by engine problems last month, roars away from Cape Canaveral Thursday, boosting a third-generation Global Positioning System navigation satellite into orbit for the U.S. Space Force. William Harwood/CBS NewsThe engines shut down as planned 212 minutes after liftoff. The first stage then fell away and headed for a successful landing on a off-shore droneship while the flight continued on the power of the Falcon 9's single second stage engine. The GPS-3 satellite the fourth in a series of more powerful third-generation navigation stations built by Lockheed Martin was expected to be deployed about a 90 minutes after liftoff. Assuming tests and checkout go well, it will join a globe-spanning constellation of 31 GPS satellites. Orbiting in multiple planes, at least four GPS satellites are above the horizon as viewed from any point on Earth, broadcasting ultra-precise atomic clock signals allowing military and civilian receivers to compute a user's precise position, altitude and velocity. "GPS-3 provides three times greater accuracy and up to eight times improved anti-jamming power over satellites in the existing constellation," Tonya Ladwig, acting vice president of Lockheed Martin's Navigation Systems Division, told reporters in a recent teleconference. "For those keeping score, the four more powerful GPS-3 satellites will represent a little better than 12% of the 31 satellites in the constellation, but the number's growing." Lockheed is building 10 GPS Block 3 satellites at an average cost of $529 million each. The company also holds a contract valued at up to $7.2 billion for up to 22 even more sophisticated GPS "Follow On" satellites. An artist's impression of a GPS-3 navigation satellite in orbit. Lockheed MartinAn attempt to launch the latest GPS on Oct. 2 ended two seconds before the planned liftoff when the Falcon 9's flight computer detected unusual pressures in the first stage turbopumps of two engines. A detailed analysis revealed small vent lines were obstructed by a lacquer-like material used during the machinery's fabrication that had not been cleaned off as expected. A fleet-wide inspection revealed similar issues in a handful of other engines slated for upcoming flights, including two high-priority NASA missions. The suspect engines in the GPS rocket were replaced the other seven were inspected and given clean bills of health and all nine were successfully test fired at the pad on Saturday. NASA plans to launch four astronauts to the International Space Station on November 14 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon ferry ship. The mission is the first operational Crew Dragon flight following a successful piloted test flight earlier this year. Two of the engines in the first stage of the Falcon 9 earmarked for the "Crew-1" flight also had to be replaced following the GPS abort. Assuming data analysis confirms good engine performance Thursday, NASA should be able to press ahead with the long-awaited Crew-1 launch as planned.

###CLAIM: marshall and goldberg, a chicago and arizona safety, are reported to have gone ahead and asked watt to wear his daughter 's shoes. ###DOCS: There were a lot of eyes on JJ Watts foray into NFL free agency. Pundits and fans everywhere suggested potential landing spots for the star pass rusher, and Watt played his big decision close to the chest literally. Ahead of his now-viral social media post a photo of Watt at a squat rack wearing an Arizona Cardinals shirt the former Houston Texan used a little misdirection. We had an idea of the four or five final teams and I had shirts for them, the 31-year-old said at his introductory press conference on Tuesday. I didnt trust the person at the packaging facility wouldnt put two and two together. Had it shipped to a friends house so the information wouldnt leak out.The Wisconsin product got a surprise of his own when it was reported that the daughter of Chicago Cardinals running back and safety Marshall Goldberg gave Watt the go-ahead to wear her fathers retired No. 99. He has my blessings, Ellen Goldberg Tullos, told TMZ. And Im sure my father would be more than delighted for him to carry it on.Goldberg, a four-time All-Pro who died in 2006, had his career interrupted by World War II Navy service. We had a great conversation, she was super sweet, Watt said of his call with Tullos on Tuesday at his introductory press conference. (She) said that she believes her father would be honored and she believes that he was all about the players and so she said that she thought he would want me to wear it. Im very honored and touched that they thought of me in that way and that I can do that and I told her that I would do everything in my power to honor him and to make him proud and make his legacy proud.Hell get a start on this in the 2021 season, his first of a two-year deal worth $31 million, with $23 million guaranteed for the 2011 first-round NFL Draft pick. While the money was certainly enticing, Watt pointed to several key Cardinals players QB Kyler Murray, wideout and former Texans teammate DeAndre Hopkins, linebacker Chandler Jones, safety Budda Baker as a reason for excitement. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year also cited his familiarity with defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, another ex-Houston figure. JJ Watt at his Arizona Cardinals introduction Via Cardinals/ZOOMWatt now joins them on a team that went 8-8 and missed the playoffs in 2020, and has plans to put them over the edge. The longer I looked at, signs kept pointing back here, Watt said. Theres a lot of exciting things about whats happening down here in Arizona.

###CLAIM: also sharing a picture on a media account of a text message from the first meeting in california in october of 2015 saying that the dates of the 2013-2014 dating were canceled at the last minute, and then canceled again at the last minute. ###DOCS: A fashion stylist has become the ninth woman to make allegations of abuse against Marilyn Manson, claiming that the singer held a gun to her forehead while she was working at a shoot in his home in 2011. Visual filmmaker Love Bailey had initially made the claims in social media posts in 2017, yet resurfaced the allegations this week as more women came forward. Bailey, who is trans, posted a video to her Instagram account on Tuesday evening in which she claimed that Manson told her he didnt like f*****s as he held the weapon to her head. At the time, she was allegedly attempting to help an unnamed Hollywood actress who was blackout in his room prepare for a photoshoot. Bailey is among the eight other women who have now alleged abuse against Manson since actress Evan Rachel Wood, his former fiance, posted a statement on Instagram on Monday accusing him of 'horrifically abusing' her for years. Manson issued a blanket denial on Monday night, calling the allegations 'distortions of reality' and insisting all of his relationships had been consensual. Scroll down for videoFashion stylist Bailey Love (pictured left) has become the ninth woman to make allegations of abuse against Marilyn Manson (pictured right), claiming that the singer held a gun to her forehead while she was working at a photoshoot in his home in 2011The fashion stylist claimed that when Manson 'pulls a gun to your head, it's time to speak up'On Monday, Bailey had posted a picture of Manson to Instagram in which she called him a vile human. Im not a fan of cancel culture but when someone like @marilynmanson pulls a gun to your head, its time to speak up, Bailey wrote. Its 2021 and we have to take away the power of these awful people, so they dont do harm anyone else.Bailey followed up on Tuesday evening with a five-minute video in which she spoke at more length of her claims, as she told the Daily Beast that she is getting in touch with the authorities about her story. She also claimed that she is keeping the name of the actress involved in the incident under wraps as they pursue legal counsel. I feel its a pressing matter that I speak directly to the camera and tell my testimony of what has happened the night I met Marilyn Manson, Bailey begins, stating that she was a 20-year-old stylist when she was asked to carry out a photoshoot for the actress for LoveCat magazine, now known as Galore. She said that she was asked to follow the actress to Manson's home where they could set up for the shoot. Bailey claims that she remembers three rooms in Mansons house, including the recording studio that was plastered with posters of scantily clad women. In the living room, the stylist claims in the video that the floor was covered in drawings that appeared to be grouped together in a corner of the room in an attempt to open some demonic portal. From there, Bailey continued to claim that she was beckoned into the bedroom where Manson and the actress had just had sex and she saw a glass cage in the corner of the room with a lock on. In her first post to Instagram on Monday, Bailey said that Manson held a gun to her headBailey revealed more about her allegations in a video posted on Tuesday eveningShe says that when she entered the room, the actress appeared 'blackout wasted' and was 'stumbling'. Bailey claimed that she went over to the actress, but it was at this point that Manson pulled out the gun. I went over to **** and as Im holding **** and trying to get her balance with her, Marilyn pulls a gun to my head,' she claims. 'A big Glock, a metal Glock, not a toy gun. He puts it straight to my forehead and says "I dont like F*****s" as he laughs in this really dark aggressive tone. This was not a joke. This was not humorous behavior. This was not something to take lightly and I remember being stunned in that moment,' Bailey adds. At this point in the videos, Bailey becomes emotional as she states that she is finally 'brave enough to come out about this after all these years because of Evans testimony'. Love Bailey became emotional as she shared her claims about Manson on InstagramBailey has claimed she is receiving death threats over her claims about Manson'Years Ive been silenced into not saying anything because of the industry, because of the fashion industry, because of these photographers that will blacklist you for mentioning their name,' Bailey continues. 'And for so long Ive been silent but now I think its time. I think its time I come clean about my story and my experience.' In a separate statement to the Daily Beast, Bailey revealed how she questioned 'am I going to die? as Manson pulled the gun. I felt powerless, I felt stunned and I was shocked. I was in this state where I was asking myself, isnt he too famous to kill me?' she said. 'I remember all these thoughts flashing through my head, and here I was, this young 20-year-old stylist just trying to get the job done and I was met with a Glock. I was just afraid for my life at that point,' Bailey added. 'I didnt say anything after that because the fashion industry is so small. If you say something, then the photographer will blacklist you and you lose your career.' Within the video, Bailey also included testimony from two other people, including her assistant at the shoot in Mansons house. Her assistant claims to have seen demonic art in the living room and that Manson had said no assistants were allowed. Another friend claims that Bailey called her straight after the incident and was in shock and unable to believe what had happened. Within the video, Bailey also included testimony from two other people, including her assistant at the shoot in Mansons house and a friend she called after the alleged incidentBailey claims she has since been getting death threats since she posted her story on Monday, with fashion photographers threatening her. 'I thought they were my heroes,' Bailey said in the video of Manson. 'I looked up to his music until that instance. 'I was just doing my job,' she claims before repeating that she now felt r4eady to come forward because of the other allegations. CALIFORNIA SENATOR DEMANDED FBI PROBE INTO MARILYN MANSON A WEEK BEFORE THE ACCUSERS WENT PUBLIC California State Senator Susan Rubio requested an FBI and Justice Department probe into Marilyn Manson more than a week before his accusers went public with their claims. On January 21, Rubio wrote to the FBI and Attorney General demanding an investigation into Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner. She demanded that investigators contact his accusers to find out more about their claims. On Monday morning, Evan Rachel Wood and four other women posted statements alleging years of 'horrific abuse' by Manson in what appeared to be a coordinated move. On Monday night, Wood posted a photo of Rubio's January 21 letter on her Instagram account. Now, Rubio's office is refusing to say how they knew about the abuse allegations early. Neither the FBI nor the Justice Department will confirm if they have opened an investigation. Rubio's letter reads: 'The alleged victims have named Marilyn Manson, also known as Brian Hugh Warner, as the perpetrator. 'I ask that the U.S. Department of Justice meet with the alleged victims immediately and investigate these accusations,' Senator Rubio wrote in the letter. 'As a domestic violence survivor who now advocates for victims in my role of California state legislator, I share a common trauma of emotional, psychological, and physical control at the hands of an abuser.' Rubio added that she was 'especially alarmed' because some of the alleged abuse is said to have taken place in California. Advertisement'I dont give a f***k about the fashion industry, I dont give a f**k about styling and upholding these false believes and these false powers,' she states. 'I dont care anymore. I dont want to work with these people anyway.' She added that she stood with the other women who have made allegations over the past two days and that she believed they are entitled to reparations'. 'I think these victims, including myself, have suffered post-traumatic stress from these incidents and he needs to offer reparations for the abuse. He needs to offer reparations for their medical bills, their psychology bills, their therapists, whatever, she told the Daily Beast. 'Theres a scar on my life from that instant. He took a part of my innocence. He needs to be set as an example that men in the industry cannot get away with this and people shouldnt glorify people like this. 'There are a million talented people out there. Why is it these men that we glorify? Why is it these men that we give the power over us?' After Bailey shared her video, it was reposted by Wood who voiced her support. On Monday, five women made coordinated statements about how Manson allegedly treated them on Instagram. They are Westworld actress Wood, 33; an artist known only as Gabriella; photographer Ashley Walters; model Sarah McNeilly; and model Ashley Lindsay Morgan. They claimed they had been victims of sexual misconduct, manipulation, and physical and emotional abuse at Manson's hands. The women's allegations vary but all say Manson, whose real name is Brian Warner, left them with PTSD after forcing them into blood pacts, plying them with drugs, becoming violent with them and gaslighting them. On Monday night, another three women made allegations on social media that Wood re-posted on her account. They did not go into detail about their relationships with Manson but all three said he was an abuser. Those women are Scarlett Kapella, Brittany Leigh, and Torii Lynn, with Bailey becoming the ninth woman shortly afterward. Manson has denied all the claims since they began to resurface on Monday. He said: 'Obviously, my life and my art have long been magnets for controversy, but these recent claims about me are horrible distortions of reality. 'My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how and why others are now choosing to misrepresent the past, that is the truth.' Comments were turned off the post, but it was liked by Manson's wife, Lindsay Usich. She has not released her own statement. Rose McGowan, one of his former girlfriends, said in a statement that while he was never abusive to her, she 'stands with' the accusers on Monday. Dita Von Teese - who he was married to - has not commented on the allegations, nor has she ever made any of her own in the past. Manson, real name Brian Warner, released this statement in the wake of 'horrific abuse claims' against him by the five women on Monday. A further four women have now made claimsOn Monday night, Scarlette Kapella (pictured left) and Torii Lynn (pictured right) both said they too had been victims of abuse by Manson after the first five women came forwardManson has since been dropped by his record label, Loma Vista Records, talent agency CAA and he has been edited out of American Gods and Creepshow, two shows he was taking part in. There are now also questions around how the allegations came to the surface. California State Senator Susan Rubio wrote to the FBI and the Justice Department demanding an investigation into Manson on January 21 - a week before the claims became public. No investigation has been launched and Manson has never been arrested for any of the women's allegations. Manson is now married to artist Lindsay Usich, picturerd together above. They got married in lockdown in February 2020Among the most extreme and specific of the allegations were those from a woman named only as Gabriella who posted her story to social media. The artist claims she dated Marilyn Manson for six months between 2015 and 2016 says he drove her to attempt suicide after tying her up, depriving her of sleep and plying her with drugs during their relationship which began when she was 22 and he was 46. Gabriella posted her allegations on Instagram at around the same time as Wood on Monday. She shared photographs of herself with Manson and texts she says he sent her to add validity to her story. She says they met in October 2015 at a show. They dated for six months, she said, during which time she alleges he tied her up, force fed her drugs, deprived her of sleep and claimed he was a member of the MS-13 gang. She claims that on Christmas Day 2015, he canceled plans with her last minute and that it left her so devastated she tried to kill herself. 'I met Brian Warner, known as Marilyn Manson, backstage in October 2015. I was 22 and he was 46. The first thing that he ever said to me was that he was "going to bite me". 'We talked while the opening band played and after the show, he invited me on his tour bus. 'He immediately love bombed me - telling me that he felt like he'd known me for years and I felt similarly. He offered me cocaine. He told me to take off all my clothes and take a shower in front of him. 'He asked for my number as I was getting ready to leave and invited me to his show the following evening,' she said in a statement. She posted photos of the pair together which showed her before and after she claims he told her to dye her hair from pink to platinum, and of the texts she says he sent her including one where he told her loved her. One disturbing allegation is that Manson deprived her of sleep. Other women have also accused him of playing loud music to stop them from sleeping while they were dating. 'One instance after I agreed to get matching tattoos. He was forcing drugs in my mouth while I was laying down in his home getting tattooed. Afterwards, I was exhausted and went upstairs to bed. 'He turned the lights on, started throwing things and yelling at me. He was irate that I had fallen asleep and not watched him get tattooed. 'It was easier to be controlled if I was sedated and tired,' Gabriella wrote. The artist, Gabriella, posted a lengthy statement on Instagram on Monday night along with photos of her and Manson from when she says they dated in 2015-2016Gabriella also shared screenshots of texts she says Manson sent her within a week of their first meeting in California in October 2015, as pictured on her social media account aboveChristmas Day 2015 was when she claims he canceled their plans last minute. 'On Christmas Day, he canceled plans with me, and I was devastated. I felt betrayed and humiliated because I had sacrificed so many parts of myself to please him. 'The jarring reality had finally consumed me, and I tried to kill myself. I was 5150'd and spent Christmas in the hospital. 'He would threaten me by saying that I should be scared of him. He would often brag about being affiliated with the MS13 gang,' she said. Eventually, she said she ended the relationship but that she was in a state of 'shock'. 'This relationship left me disoriented and shattered. I couldn't put into words for the longest time exactly what happened to me. He gaslit me so much I began to gaslight myself,' she said. The other women who have accused Manson of abuse also posted on Instagram. They made less detailed and specific references to sexual, mental, and physical abuse. Wood reposted most of the women's allegations on her own social media accounts and she shared a letter from California State Senator Susan Rubio to the California AG which demands a police investigation into the claims.

###CLAIM: earlier in the year, two of his children, now adults, testified to house investigators about sexual abuse at the age of 5 and 9. ###DOCS: A Missouri state lawmaker is expected to be expelled from office following a state investigation that concluded he engaged in physical, mental and sexual abuse against his now-adult children. The ethics committee recommended that Roeber be removed from office after reviewing what it described as "clear and convincing testimony and other evidence" of the lawmakers guilt. The report found that Roebers actions may be subject to criminal charges, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. The report included testimony from three of Roebers four children as well as his ex-wife, who accused him of abuse dating back to the 1990s. Investigators concluded Roeber sexually abused two of his children and engaged in various acts of physical and mental abuse. Earlier this year his now adult children testified to House investigators earlier this year that he sexually abused two of them at the ages of 5 and 9. Investigators heard he frequently beat the children with a belt, choked them and once drowned a litter of puppies. Republican Rep. Rick Roeber. The Missouri House on Thursday refused to accept Roeber's resignation so the Ethics Committee can fully investigate allegations that he physically and sexually abused his children years agoOne child who said Roeber was sexually abusive told investigators that 'to have someone that you are trusting as your parent to treat you in that manner and to not treat you like a child...take(s) away your innocence.' The committee found records showing that his children reported the abuse around the time it allegedly occurred in the 1990s but that prosecutors never filed charges. It was not immediately known why prosecutors did not file charges. 'The State of Missouri has failed these children for over 20 years,' the report stated. 'Although this committee cannot change the past, this committee can provide a clear record of Respondent s abusive conduct.' Documents provided to the committee show Roeber appealed a 2003 Division of Family Services report that found probable cause that he was the 'perpetrator of sexual maltreatment' to one of his children. His ex-wife told investigators that he appealed because he was applying for a local church position that involved work with children. The Child Abuse and Neglect Review Board reversed the finding and labeled the claims against Roeber as 'unsubstantiated' after a hearing at which neither Roeber's ex-wife nor her lawyer attended, according to the committee report. Roeber has cited the decision as an exoneration. Roeber did not immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment Monday. But he denied to investigators that he ever sexually abused his children. Roeber also said his children have 'parental alienation syndrome,' although the committee pointed out in its report he did not provide any evidence to support that claim. He said his adult children are Democrats, implying that they would falsely accuse him of abuse as part of a 'political hit.' Roeber, pictured above, also said his children have 'parental alienation syndrome,' although the committee pointed out in its report he did not provide any evidence to support that claimThe Ethics Committee didn't find Roeber's testimony to be credible. The House refused to let Roeber resign last week, which would have meant lawmakers no longer had jurisdiction to investigate him. Preventing his resignation means the House can consider the Ethics Committee's recommendation that he be expelled. The Republican House speaker and Ethics Committee leader last week raised concerns with the Jackson County prosecutor that Roeber currently has weekend visitations with a child, according to records obtained by The Associated Press. Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker in response said she would contact the Lee s Summit chief of police to 'devise a plan' and asked for any reports or transcripts from the committee s investigation so her office can check for potential criminal wrongdoing.

###CLAIM: a smaller boat trapped in a booby trap and rigged with a possible explosive device attacked an oil tanker off saudi arabia and jiddah on monday causing a small fire, state tv reported from the united arab emirates ( uae ) citing an energy ministry official. ###DOCS: Dubai, United Arab Emirates An oil tanker off Saudi Arabia's port city of Jiddah was attacked on Monday by smaller "boobyt-trapped boat" rigged with explosives, causing a small fire on the ship, Saudi state TV reported, citing an official from the state energy ministry. The unnamed official did not name any suspects, but pointed to the seriousness of such criminal acts and the threat they pose to maritime traffic, the security of oil exports and the freedom of global trade, in addition to the environmental consequences of potential gas or oil leakage. Earlier a shipping company said the tanker had suffered an explosion after being hit by "an external source," suggesting another vessel had come under attack amid Saudi Arabia's years-long war in Yemen. This undated photo released by AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHER SG shows the Singapore-flagged oil tanker BW Rhine. Tommy Chia/AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHER SG/APThe attack on the Singapore-flagged BW Rhine, which had been contracted by the trading arm of the kingdom's massive Saudi Arabian Oil Co., marks the fourth assault targeting Saudi energy infrastructure in a month. It also apparently shut down Jiddah port, the most-important shipping point for the kingdom. The attack renews concerns about ship safety in the Red Sea, a crucial transit zone for global shipping and energy supplies that largely had avoided the chaos of regional tensions involving the U.S. and Iran last year. The BW Rhine had berthed at Jiddah on Saturday, carrying over 60,000 metric tons of unleaded gasoline from an Aramco refinery at Yanbu for consumption in the kingdom, according to the data-analysis firm Refinitiv. It was there that the incident appears to have occurred. The ship was "hit from an external source whilst discharging," said Haifna, a tanker company under the BW Group that owns and operates the ship. The strike caused an explosion and fire onboard the ship, though all 22 sailors on board escaped without injury and firefighters later extinguished the blaze, Haifna said. Some oil may have polluted the water along the ship, though the company said it was still assessing the damage. It took hours for Saudi Arabia to acknowledged the blast. The United Kingdom Marine Trade Operations, an organization under Britain's royal navy, urged ships in the area to exercise caution and said investigations were ongoing. It later said Jiddah port had been shut down for a "duration unknown," without elaborating. Dryad Global, a maritime intelligence firm, also reported the blast. The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, which patrols the Mideast, did not respond to a request for comment. The explosion comes after a mine exploded and damaged a ship off Saudi Arabia last month. Another mysterious attack targeted a cargo ship off the small port city of Nishtun in Yemen's far east earlier this month. Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have used sea mines before in their long war against a Saudi-led coalition. However, the Houthis have not commented last month's attack, nor the one on Monday. Dryad Global said if it was the Houthis behind Monday's blast, it "would represent a fundamental shift in both targeting capabilities and intent." Since mid-November, there's also been what Saudi Arabia described as a bomb-laden drone boat attempted attack at Jazan, as well as a cruise missile attack claimed by the Houthis that struck an Aramco oil facility in Jiddah. From the energy ministry official's description of the Monday incident, it appeared possible that another drone boat was used to attack the BW Rhine. A fuel tank damaged by a fire caused by what the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Energy said was a terrorist attack in north Jiddah, November 24, 2020. Xinhua/Tu Yifan/GettyThe incidents come after tensions between the U.S. and Iran last year saw a series of escalating incidents in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the nearby Gulf of Oman. While the U.S. has put together a new coalition to monitor shipping there after those incidents, it doesn't operate in the Red Sea. In recent weeks, an attack in Iran killed a prominent scientist who founded Tehran's military nuclear program two decades ago, an assault suspected to have been carried out by Israel. The attack nudged up oil prices, which already had been rising in recent days as Western countries begin distributing coronavirus vaccines. Benchmark Brent crude stood above $50 a barrel in trading Monday. The Red Sea, with the Suez Canal to the north and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to the south, is a vital shipping lane for both cargo and global energy supplies. Its currents change seasonally and now run north. Saudi Arabia recently accused the Houthis of dumping mines into the southern Red Sea, which could be carried toward Jiddah. The Red Sea has been mined previously. In 1984, some 19 ships reported striking mines there, with only one ever being recovered and disarmed, according to a U.N. panel of experts investigating Yemen's war. Any new mining could endanger global shipping and be difficult to find for any minesweeping operation - raising the risks and potentially the cost of insurance for those sailing in the region. "The series of escalations in the Red Sea will certainly raise the risk profile of the region," said Ranjith Raja, the head of Middle East and North Africa oil and shipping research at Refinitiv. "This could in turn also increase the insurance premiums for added protection on vessels operating in the region, which would have an impact on the cost of shipment." DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) A cargo ship traveling past Yemen in the Gulf of Aden came under attack in unclear circumstances, maritime authorities said Saturday. The Gulf of Aden is a crucial route for global trade and has seen attacks attributed to Yemens Houthi rebels as its civil war rages on. A number of Somali pirate attacks that once plagued the region have mostly stopped in recent years. The ship ended up off the small port city of Nishtun in Yemens far east after coming under attack early Saturday morning, according to an alert from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization that is overseen by Britains Royal Navy. Vessel and crew are safe, the organization said. ADVERTISEMENTNo group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Yemens Houthi rebels, who have held the capital, Sanaa, since September 2014, did not respond to requests for comment. Nishtuns port has been used by a Saudi-led coalition battling the Houthis on behalf of Yemens internationally recognized government. The British Defense Ministry declined to elaborate on the attack. The U.S. Navys Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, which patrols Mideast waterways, said it was aware of the incident, but declined to comment further. Ambrey Intelligence, a British private maritime intelligence firm, identified the vessel attacked as the MV Hasan, a cargo ship flagged out of Sierra Leone that had been on its way to Salalah, Oman. The Hasan is registered to Oasis Shipping Co., a Marshall Islands-registered firm with an address linking it to a Beirut address for Barhoum Maritime Co. A similarly named company also operates out of Tartous, Syria. An employee at the company in Tartous declined to immediately comment. The eastern part of Yemen where the ship was attacked is held by the countrys internationally recognized government, amid its yearslong war against the Iranian-backed Houthis. It marked the fourth known attack against shipping in the eastern Gulf of Aden in 2020, according to the private security firm Dryad Global. Analysis of previous incident data suggests a number of incidents occurring in the vicinity of the eastern Gulf of Aden that are likely connected to the war in Yemen, the firm said. In one incident, the Saudi-led coalition accused the Houthis of using a so-called drone boat loaded with explosives to try to attack a ship off Nishtun. Later Saturday, the U.K. maritime organization reported up to 20 small boats swarmed toward a tanker southeast of Aden. Ambrey said an armed security force on that ship apparently scared off the boats. It wasnt immediately clear who was on those boats. In late November, a mine in the Red Sea off Saudi Arabias coast near Yemen exploded and damaged an oil tanker . Suspicion immediately fell on the Houthis, who have been identified by United Nations experts as using seamines in the conflict. ___Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo and Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, contributed to this report.

###CLAIM: hoggard 's eccentric character, who set up a barbecue school in rutland last year called `` hoggy 's grill '', made him a popular after-dinner speaker. ###DOCS: It was Test cricket's greatest summer. A compelling Ashes series packed with twists and turns that elevated cricket into the national consciousness and made the sport fashionable again. Five thrilling matches culminated with England beating Australia to claim the Ashes urn for the first time since 1987. The beauty of that unforgettable 2005 series was that it truly felt accessible to everyone thanks to Channel 4's excellent coverage. A whopping 8.4 million people were tuned in to witness the nerve-shredding finale of England's fourth Test win at Trent Bridge and 7.4million witnessed the rather underwhelming moment the umpires removed the bails and declared the fifth Test a draw at The Oval. Given that there was anything up to eight hours of live coverage each day on Channel 4, it was astonishing that, on average, three million people were watching at any given time. Perhaps it was Richie Benaud's unmistakable voice or Geoffrey Boycott's scythe-sharp observations. Perhaps it was Lou Bega's Mambo No 5 on the opening titles. The public just couldn't get enough. Thousands turned out to watch England's heroes on a bus parade through Trafalgar SquareThe celebrations continued for some time as England's players got a tickertape receptionStar man Kevin Pietersen with the glass Ashes trophy in one hand and a Red Bull in the otherPietersen's brilliant 158 in the final Test at The Oval ensured England took series victoryLive Test cricket moved exclusively to Sky Sports thereafter and they elevated the coverage to even higher levels. But as cricket returns to Channel 4 this week, there is a glorious sense of nostalgia. And that isn't just because Mambo No 5 will continue to be the theme music. With the first ball set to be bowled in the much-anticipated India vs England series at 4am this Friday, Channel 4 certainly won't be commanding such high viewing figures. But it's great to see the red-ball game back on free-to-air TV and with the whole country locked down it should be the biggest audience since the Cricket World Cup final two years ago. To mark Test cricket's return to C4, we look back at some of the principal personalities of that 2005 Ashes summer and what they're doing now. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh with the England team after they were awarded MBEs following their Ashes triumph. Back row from left: Geraint Jones (Kent), Andrew Strauss (Middlesex), Simon Jones (Glamorgan), Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire), Stephen Harmison (Durham), Matthew Hoggard (Yorkshire), Paul Collingwood (Durham), Ian Bell (Durham). Front row from left: Phil Neale (Manager), Marcus Trescothick (Somerset), Michael Vaughan (Yorkshire), Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh, Duncan Fletcher (Coach), Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire) and Ashley Giles (Warwickshire). ENGLANDMany of England's heroes of 2005 were still in the team when England won the 2010-11 Ashes series Down Under. You can find out what became of the likes of Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell HERE. But as for the rest...Michael VaughanEngland's captain fantastic and the first leader of the team to get their hands on the Urn since Mike Gatting 18 years earlier. Vaughan had started the series with three single digit scores from four innings and came in for serious criticism over his form and technique that led him returning briefly to play for his county, Yorkshire. However, everything changed at Old Trafford in the third Test. Having been clean bowled by Glenn McGrath off a no-ball, Vaughan went on to make 166 and then a half-century in the next match at Nottingham. Vaughan salutes the crowd at Old Trafford after completing his century in the third TestVaughan with the Ashes urn and a well-earned beer in the England dressing room at The OvalVaughan (right) pictured with James Anderson (left) and Isa Guha (middle) on the BBC's coverage of the England vs Pakistan T20 match last yearVaughan was lauded for his leadership and received an OBE in the New Year Honours. He continued as captain until 2008 by which time poor scores, injuries and the pressures of captaincy had taken a toll. He went on to become a respected commentator and pundit on the BBC's Test Match Special and co-presents The Tuffers and Vaughan Cricket Show on Five Live with Phil Tufnell. Andrew FlintoffAfter Ian Botham and before Ben Stokes, England had Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff. A man who made something happen with either bat or ball. A talismanic figure capable of the spectacular and the superhuman. Few cricketers will ever have a better match than Flintoff in the second Test at Edgbaston. Smashing nine sixes as he made 141 over the two innings with the bat and taking seven wickets with the ball, including both Justin Langer and Ricky Ponting in his first over bowled during Australia's run chase. He went on to score a century at Trent Bridge and took five wickets at The Oval to haul England to victory. His bleary-eyed celebrations during the open-top bus parade also became the stuff of legend. Flintoff was magnificent with both bat and ball during the iconic series of his England careerA moment of great sportsmanship as Flintoff consoles Brett Lee after the drama at EdgbastonFlintoff and Ashley Giles during the famously bleary-eyed celebrations on the open-top busFlintoff (left) with co-presenters Paddy McGuinness (centre) and Chris Harris on Top GearFlintoff was crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year for 2005, the first cricketer since Botham in 1981 to win it. He succeeded Vaughan as captain but to less success and the injury-plagued all-rounder never recaptured that 2005 high. Flintoff has certainly been busy post-cricket. He had a very brief boxing career, toured around in a fish and chip van for a TV series, captained a team on Sky's A League of Their Own, won the Aussie version of I'm a Celebrity and now presents Top Gear. Ashley GilesEngland's 'King of Sp(a)in' was a steady performer in 2005, taking 10 wickets but at a high average of 57.80. He did knock off the crucial winning runs at Trent Bridge as Shane Warne threatened to tie England in knots. Having been in and around the side since 1998, Giles flew home from the 2006-07 away Ashes series to care for his wife, who had a brain tumour. Ashley Giles celebrates after steering England to their crucial victory at Trent BridgeGiles celebrates with Kevin Pietersen after taking a catch during the last Test at The OvalGiles (right), England's director of cricket, seen during the tour of South Africa in DecemberGiles retired from cricket in 2007 and became Warwickshire's director of cricket and also England's spin coach. He also served on the national selection panel and was later England's limited-overs head coach. In 2018, Giles was appointed managing director of England men's cricket, replacing Andrew Strauss. Simon JonesUndoubtedly one of the stars of the series, the paceman was especially brilliant at Old Trafford when he demolished Australia's top order to return figures of six for 53. He had their number again at Trent Bridge, taking four for 44 in swing-friendly conditions before an ankle injury ruled him out of the final Test. Simon Jones bowls Michael Kasprowicz during the fourth Test win at Trent BridgeThe sight of Jones celebrating wickets became a familiar one during his marvellous summerJones should have been an England regular for years to come but his career was wrecked by ankle and knee injuries, with those heroics at Nottingham sadly his final England appearance. After retiring in 2013, Jones became a sports coach at a school in Cardiff and performs motivational speaking engagements. Geraint JonesEngland's wicketkeeper took the most famous catch of the series to dismiss Michael Kasprowicz and seal the dramatic two-run victory at Edgbaston in the second Test. Jones continued in the England team for another year or so but lost his place when a series of dropped catches and missed stumpings combined with a lack of form with the bat. Time stands still as Geraint Jones dives to take the catch to dismiss Michael Kasprowicz off the bowling of Steve Harmison and win the Edgbaston TestJones is mobbed by Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen after Billy Bowden's finger is raisedJones is now a firefighter for Kent Fire and Rescue services after training last yearHe later represented Papua New Guinea, the country of his birth, in one-day cricket, playing in World Cup qualifiers. After retirement, Jones joined Brentwood School in Essex as their cricket professional, worked as a business studies teacher and trained to be a fireman with the Kent Fire and Rescue services. Marcus TrescothickThe opener had a terrific Ashes series, averaging 43.10 to be the second highest run scorer over the five Tests behind Pietersen. He was named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year as a result. Trescothick played for England through until the following year's home series with Pakistan but flew home before the 2006-07 Ashes series because of a 'stress-related illness.' England opener Marcus Trescothick bats at Edgbaston during England's second Test winWith an average of 43, Trescothick was the second-highest run scorer during the seriesTrescothick has been working with the England team as a batting coach in recent monthsHe chronicled his struggles with anxiety and depression in an award-winning book, Coming Back to Me, in 2008. Trescothick didn't return to international cricket but played county cricket for Somerset through until 2019, at the age of 43. Trescothick worked with the England team as a batting coach during their white-ball tour to South Africa last year. Matthew HoggardHoggard took 16 wickets during the series with his best return of four for 97 coming in the final Test at The Oval to ensure Australia's first innings score was six less than England's. His over-my-dead-body batting for eight not out had also helped England over the line at Trent Bridge in the fourth Test. His eccentric character made him a popular after-dinner speaker in retirement and last year, Hoggard set up a barbecue school in Rutland called 'Hoggy's Grill.' How Channel 4 revolutionised cricket coverage Channel 4 had been screening live coverage of England's home Tests for six years by the time of the 2005 Ashes and had created a hugely successful formula. Their coverage was infinitely more bold and colourful than the BBC Test match coverage that had preceded it, with the network unafraid to embrace new innovation. The uplifting sound of Lou Bega's version of Mambo No 5, a huge hit in 1999, marked the start of the day's coverage, normally cutting to the suave Mark Nicholas somewhere on the outfield to tee things up. The Channel 4 commentary team (left to right) Mark Nicholas, Geoff Boycott, Michael Slater, Tony Greig and Michael Atherton look on at The Oval There was great chemistry in the commentary box with the authoritative voice of Richie Benaud and the opinions of Michael Atherton, just starting his broadcasting career, and Geoffrey Boycott, well-established in his. Of course it was Benaud's voice that soundtracked the thrilling denouement at Edgbaston: 'Jones!... Bowden!... Kasprowicz the man to go... despair for Australia, joy for every Englishman on the field.' The 2005 team also featured former England captain Tony Greig and Australian batting great Michael Slater. Iconic commentator Richie Benaud in his Trent Bridge vantage point in 2005 And let's not forget 'the analyst', Simon Hughes, who would appear in the C4 TV truck surrounded by screens and stacks of videotape. But it wasn't necessarily his job to just offer in-depth detail of the key moments of play but also to explain some of the rules and quirks of the game of cricket in general. Channel 4 were conscious they were taking the game to a much broader audience, especially in 2005. They also pioneered some innovations taken for granted on TV cricket coverage now. It was Benaud that christened the stump microphone that picked up whether ball had hit bat as 'Snicko'. C4 commentator Geoffrey Boycott seen at The Oval ahead of the fifth and final Test Simon Hughes in his video truck as 'The Analyst' during Channel Four's coverage In 2001, C4 showed us Hawk-Eye technology for the first time during England's series with Pakistan. Developed by a former minor counties cricketer, Paul Hawkins, it revealed the trajectory and bounce of each delivery, clearing up those contentious LBW calls and would eventually be integrated into not only cricket but various sports. This all came together in 2005 with the nation hooked on every second of coverage. The viewing figures went through the roof. But it was bittersweet. The Oval Test saw the plug pulled on terrestrial Test coverage as it moved wholesale to Sky Sports. Mark Nicholas (left) oversees the toss ahead of the fourth Test at Trent Bridge Atherton is now an established member of Sky's commentary team, while Boycott continued as a Test Match Special regular until his retirement in 2020. Nicholas remains a familiar face on TV cricket coverage all over the world, working for Channel Nine in Australia, Cricket on Five, talkSPORT and the world feed for IPL games. Hughes is a well respected cricket journalist, author and broadcaster often heard on TMS and seen on BT Sport coverage. AdvertisementAUSTRALIAAustralia's players became household names to the English public during that summer of 2005 and for many England fans, the ultimate pantomime villains. Here's four of the most well-known. Ricky PontingPonting had replaced Steve Waugh as Australia's captain the year before the Ashes series, having long been seen as the natural successor. He faced significant criticism as a result of becoming the first Aussie captain since Allan Border in 1986-87 to surrender to Urn. Having made 156 to save the game for his team at Old Trafford, Ponting was famously run out when on 48 by substitute fielder Gary Pratt at Trent Bridge, unleashing a tirade at the England staff as he walked back to the pavilion. Australia captain Ricky Ponting is run out by substitute fielder Gary Pratt at Trent BridgePonting was the first Australian captain since Allan Border in 1987 to not win an Ashes seriesPonting pictured before last month's Big Bash match between the Stars and RenegadesFar from give up the captaincy, Ponting ensured Australia became a winning machine in the years that followed. Overall, he won 220 of his 324 Test and one-day matches as captain, a winning ratio over two-thirds. One of the finest batsmen of all-time, Ponting's tally of 13,378 Test runs is second only to India legend Sachin Tendulkar. Ponting's batting expertise has been called upon by the Australian team, including during the 2019 Cricket World Cup, and he's also worked with Australia's Indian Premier League stars and the Delhi Capitals. Justin LangerEngland's first objective was always to break Australia's formidable opening partnership of Langer and Matthew Hayden - undoubtedly one of the best ever. That didn't often prove easy with Langer, who top-scored in the series for the tourists with 391, and in three of their innings. Justin Langer plays a sweep shot during the Edgbaston Test - he scored 391 runs in the seriesThe former opener, now coach of the Australian team, seen during the recent India seriesHe scored 105 in an opening stand of 185 with Hayden in the final Test but the middle order failed and any chance of Australia levelling the series and retaining the Ashes faded. Langer retired from Test cricket after the 2006-07 Ashes series and is now coach of the Australian team. He has done much to rebuild the reputation of the team following the March 2018 sandpaper ball-tampering scandal in South Africa. Shane WarneNobody gave England fans the palpitations during that series quite like spin master Warne, who surpassed the milestone of 600 Test wickets at Old Trafford and took 40 over the five matches. Indeed, Warne shared the player of the series honour with Flintoff and with good reason. The six for 46 he took in England's second innings at Edgbaston, his best return of the series, is overshadowed by the fact he stood on his own stumps having put on 45 with Brett Lee for the ninth wicket as Australia came agonisingly close to chasing down 282 for a 2-0 lead. Shane Warne was sensational during the 2005 Ashes, taking 40 wickets across the five TestsHe did step onto the stumps at Edgbaston just as it looked as though Australia would winWarne pictured on TV commentary duty during a Big Bash League match last monthWarne also took 12 wickets in the final Test - six in each innings - but too expensively to stop England clinching the series. Retribution was gained in 2007 as he became the first player to 700 Test wickets before bowing out. He played T20 after that before becoming a commentator and pundit on Nine and Sky Sports. He hosted a chat show that was cancelled because of poor ratings, launched an underwear line and part owns a gin distillery. Glenn McGrathMcGrath was the scourge of England's batsmen in Australia's comfortable first Test victory at Lord's, taking five for 53 in their first innings as he demolished the upper order. It seemed the tone had been set for the series but, in a twist of fate, McGrath stood on a cricket ball and injured his ankle just before the Edgbaston Test, forcing him out. Glenn McGrath was sensational at Lord's as Australia battered England in the first TestHis ankle injury after stepping on a ball at Edgbaston changed the direction of the whole seriesThe McGrath Foundation has raised millions for breast cancer nurses with 'pink days'McGrath took five wickets at Old Trafford having been hurried back but missed Trent Bridge with an elbow injury. It's one of the great unknowns whether a fully-fit McGrath would have meant a different outcome. He retired from international cricket after the 2006-07 Ashes and was hit by tragedy in June 2008 when his wife Jane died from breast cancer aged 42. The McGrath Foundation, set up by the couple in 2002, has raised millions to fund breast cancer nurses across Australia and one day of the Sydney Test match each year sees the ground turn pink in support of the charity. An icon with one more chance to cast history in her image. The Greatest of All Time against his heir apparent. The oldest rivalry locking horns for the 150th year. Two captains ready to engage a whole new generation and two coaches whose definitive rivalry is set to come to a head once more. As sporting weekends go, its not a bad one, and for those who find succour in the physical endeavours of others, its very much welcome. In the bleakest midwinter that many in the UK can remember and for those in the southern hemisphere an overbearing summer the calendar has conspired to provide some relief. A series of elite events playing out across four continents and 72 hours and if you want to, 66 hours straight. All available from the comfort and the safety of your own home. Thank you for your feedback. Opening things up is the first Test between India and England at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai, which started on Friday. In the UK live Test cricket returns to terrestrial TV, on Channel 4, for the first time since 2005. Much hope has been placed on the possibility that broad access after 16 years on pay TV will rekindle old enthusiasms for the sport and spark new passions too. With a media landscape that is much changed, its not a given. But viewers are likely to witness an enthralling contest. England come into the series on the back of a successful mini-tour of Sri Lanka. Playing his 100th Test to potentially his biggest UK audience, he faces an Indian side who pulled off one of the greatest achievements in recent Test history this winter, in recording a 2-1 series win in Australia. That they did so without their inspirational skipper Virat Kohli was part of the magic, and he returns for Chennai. Zooming back a time zone or four on Saturday and rugby unions Six Nations gets under way with another landmark occasion; the 150th anniversary of Englands first encounter against Scotland. This edition of the Calcutta Cup is at Twickenham, where Scotland have not won since 1983. But just two years ago Gregor Townsends side gave a stunning performance as they hauled back a 31-0 deficit and led Eddie Joness England, only to tie 38-38 in the final minutes. With Jones physical, kicking-based side coming up against a team inspired by the flair of fly-half Finn Russell, the romance is with the visitors. They are set to give a debut cap to inside centre Cameron Redpath, who also qualified for England and was once selected by Jones but never played. The canny Jones has gone into the game on the front foot, however, telling the Scots they dont have a monopoly on pride. Anything other than a fiery encounter is inconceivable. George Ford dives over the line in the dying moments of Englands Six Nations match against Scotland at Twickenham in March 2019. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty ImagesWhat the Test and the Six Nations have in common is an absence. The continued blight of Covid-19 means there will be no crowds watching either event (though crowds are expected for the second Test). Indeed, another Six Nations fixture between France and Wales was only confirmed as going ahead this week after travel exemptions were granted to the Welsh side. But in places elsewhere, crowds are returning, including to Florida on Sunday night (UK time) where 7,500 vaccinated healthcare workers will be part of a crowd of 25,000 watching as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers become the first team ever to play in a Super Bowl at their home stadium, as they host the Kansas City Chiefs. Fans are to be given PPE packages of wipes and hand sanitiser, and masks are to be mandatory. But debates over safety in a state which is still recording tens of thousands of Covid cases a day have been secondary. They have faded into the background when compared with one of the great match-ups in sports history (according to commentator Tony Romo) : Tom Brady v Patrick Mahomes. People walk past a poster of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (right) and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick MaHomes outside of Raymond James Stadium in the run up to Super Bowl LV. Photograph: Kevin Dietsch/UPI/ShutterstockThe strands of this story are several and carry great resonance. The 43-year-old Brady, apparently on a last hurrah with a new team, but now seeking his seventh Super Bowl ring. The 25-year-old Mahomes hoping to become a champion for a second time in only his third year in the NFL. Its a feat only Brady has managed before, but theres more than that: Mahomes is a black quarter-back, a position traditionally dominated by white players. Brady, who comes as close as any to personifying that tradition, is a golf partner of Donald Trump. Any politics is played down, the sporting significance talked up, but either way all of America will be watching. With all this, its odd to observe that Liverpool against Manchester City at the top of the Premier League will almost be an afterthought, and of course it wont for millions of fans worldwide who will tune into watch Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola try to outdo each other behind closed doors. But with Liverpool in dreadful form by their standards, the gloss has come off slightly. Workers clean the seats on court 3 during a warm up session at the Melbourne Park ahead of the Australian Open. Photograph: David Gray/AFP/Getty ImagesSo back across the world to Australia and providing there is a successful outcome to the over 500 Covid-19 tests performed on players, coaches and employees after a member of staff tested positive in a quarantine hotel the Australian Open. Thirty thousand fans a day are due to be allowed into the Rod Laver Arena and surrounding courts after extensive, intrusive efforts were made to keep infections away from this marquee event. Some stars will be missing and others, such as Novak Djokovic, have reacted badly to the strictures of quarantine. But most have been able to train and one in particular has impressed onlookers. Serena Williams, 39, is looking quicker than she did a year ago, according to Chris Evert. Her hunt for a 24th major, to equal Australian Margaret Courts record, is set to begin on Monday.

###CLAIM: kent, whose eight-month-old belly shared the pregnancy in the nude in the bath, had it snapped a few weeks ago. ###DOCS: LaLa Kent has finally shared a first photo of her baby daughter Ocean Kent Emmett. On Monday morning the 31-year-old Vanderpump Rules star took to Instagram to post a shot of the little girl's face as she was sleeping. And the partner of Randall Emmett added a very touching caption about how honored she is to be the child's mother. What a sweet face: LaLa Kent has finally shared a first photo of her baby daughter Ocean Kent Emmett. On Monday morning the 31-year-old Vanderpump Rules star took to Instagram Story to post a shot of the little girl's faceNew mom: And the partner of Randall Emmett added a very touching caption about how honored she is to be the child's motherThe child had on a pink and white elephant print cap and matching onesie as her eyes were closed for her big debut on social media. 'A week ago, March 15th 2021, at 6:45AM, my life changed forever,' began the reality TV siren. 'This little 5 lb 10 oz, sign of Pisces sent me into a world I can only explain as heavenly. No one could have prepared me for this kind of love.' She then said: 'Ocean, you are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. I am so honored to be your mama- my heart could just burst.' New mama: The Vanderpump Rules star seen with from the hospital exactly a week agoThis is a first child for both Randall and Lala. Last week Lala showed off just how much weight she has lost in one week. She donned a black sports bra and tiny grey shorts for the self-taken snap from inside of her closet. She shared the image with her 1.5million followers with the caption: 'This bod hits different. proud of you, girl'The star has been active on social media despite being a new mom as she shared a selfie of herself pumping breast milk on Thursday night. Lala appeared to be makeup free for the candid shot, which she put on her Instagram Stories for her 1.5million followers to see on Tuesday. She revealed the name of her child on Monday, sharing a snap from her hospital bed holding onto to her precious one. Her fiance Randall Emmett, 49, had previously whipped up fans excitement on Sunday when he shared a picture of Lala in labor with the caption: 'And so it begins'Emmett also shares two children London, 11, and seven-year-old Rylee with his ex-wife Ambyr Childers. Candid: Lala Kent shares a glimpse at her new baby daughter Ocean Kent Emmett on Tuesday... after posting intimate snaps from hospitalLate last month, she opened up to her 1.5 million Instagram followers about some of the scary complications with her pregnancy. Kent said she experienced bleeding and placenta problems early in her pregnancy. 'At six weeks, I started bleeding,' the blonde beauty wrote. 'I went to the emergency room, already knowing what they could tell me. They took me into a room for an ultrasound and I laid there quietly. ... For the first time, I heard the pitter patter of my baby's heartbeat. 'Your baby is still there.' The star, who announced her pregnancy in September, became nervous. 'For the next three weeks, I would continue to randomly bleed and each time, I would call my OB and be beside myself. Although bleeding during pregnancy isn't normal, it is common. My bleeding was the result of a clot. I was put on bed rest until it was gone,' Kent added. As the parents-to-be await the imminent arrival of their baby girl, the 49-year-old producer shared a snap of Kent hooked up to IVs in a hospital bed; seen in 2019When she was 20 weeks along her doctors told her they were 'concerned.' They were worried about how the baby would grow and wanted to keep an eye on the pregnancy. 'The next appointment, there was growth not much, but some,' she shared. 'After a few weeks, my doctors concluded that this was a placenta problem, not a kid problem. Although we never want any problem, this was a relief.' At that point, her placenta was measuring more mature. She ended with: 'I am going to appointments two days a week. They continue to monitor her heartbeat and her growth. When they notice her growth start to slow is when they will make the call to take her out. This could be anywhere from 35 to 37 weeks. In one to three weeks, I could be delivering my angel and all I keep praying for is she comes out healthy. That is all I think about every day, all day.' A few weeks ago, Kent also shared a snap of her eight-month pregnant belly while nude in the bath. The star wrote: 'Did anyone else hit the 'I'm over it' phase with 6 weeks left? I'm so blessed to get to experience this but y'all my back and ribs are doooone. A flame thrower has also taken residence in my chest.' She added: 'My following is 96%. So here is my 8 month pregnant bod.'

###CLAIM: dominion voting and systems, one of the country 's largest providers of switching voting technology, denied the allegations calling them `` false '' and a software issue with the system. ###DOCS: A Chatham County election official posts a sign in the public viewing area before the start of a ballot audit, Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, in Savannah, Ga. Election officials in Georgias 159 counties are undertaking a hand tally of the presidential race that stems from an audit required by state law. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)A Chatham County election official posts a sign in the public viewing area before the start of a ballot audit, Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, in Savannah, Ga. Election officials in Georgias 159 counties are undertaking a hand tally of the presidential race that stems from an audit required by state law. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)As they seek to overturn or at least cast doubts on the results of the Nov. 3 presidential election, President Donald Trump and his Republican allies have zeroed in on a routine and common process: post-election audits. Until now, the Trump campaigns flurry of legal challenges hasnt unearthed any evidence of widespread voter fraud, and election experts as well as state and federal officials have said there was none. Still, Trump and Republicans are calling for audits in states where the president lost, even as they dismiss the results of audits that were already completed. ADVERTISEMENTWHAT IS A POST-ELECTION AUDIT? Most states have laws requiring audits after elections, regardless of the margin of victory. Thats not because they think something is wrong. They just want to make sure voting equipment functioned properly and election procedures were followed. Usually, officials will take part of their paper ballots and match them against results from their electronic voting machines. Thats to make sure there are no errors or potential instances of fraud. If there are discrepancies, state laws trigger a more thorough accounting of votes, although how thats done varies by state. A post-election audit is different from a recount, which happens when there are a small number of votes separating the candidates or when requested by a candidate. WHERE ARE REPUBLICANS ASKING FOR AUDITS? Its happening in several states at once. In Arizona, where President-elect Joe Biden won, the state Republican Party asked for a new hand count of a sample of ballots in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix and is where most of the states population lives. The reasons cited? Lawyers for the GOP say they want to see if voting machines were hacked, even though there is no evidence of fraud or hacking of voting machines in Arizona. The request came after the county had already finished its own audit and found no problems after a hand-count of ballots. On Thursday, a judge rejected the Republican bid to postpone certification of the countys election results and dismissed the partys legal challenge that sought the new audit. Maricopa County officials certified their results Friday. Biden won the county by more than 45,000 votes, and bested Trump statewide by a margin of more than 10,000 votes. Then there is Georgia, where election officials did a high-profile audit of the presidential race as required by state law. The audit a hand tally of about 5 million votes wasnt in response to any suspected problems. A new law in Georgia mandates an audit of any one race after every election. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, said he chose to audit the presidential race because of its significance and because of the tight margin between Trump and Biden. ADVERTISEMENTA few thousand previously uncounted ballots were discovered during the audit, narrowing Bidens lead over Trump. Biden still ended up taking the state. WHAT HAPPENED IN MICHIGAN? Things unfolded a little differently in Michigan. It began when two Republican election board members of the district that includes majority-Black Detroit, voted to block a routine certification of the votes. They cited discrepancies between the number of ballots that were given to voters for voting either by mail or in person and the number of votes cast. It was a stunning and unexpected move, especially since Biden beat Trump in Wayne County by a more than 2-1 margin, according to unofficial results. Biden won Michigan by 154,000 votes, or 2.8 percentage points. The Republicans claim drew complaints of racism from Democrats and election experts who also noted there has been no sign of widespread voting fraud in Michigan or elsewhere. The two Republican board members later reversed themselves following assurances that there would be an audit, which Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said would be done in Wayne County and in any other community with significant clerical errors.Since then, the Wayne County board Republicans have signed affidavits saying they still do not believe the results should have been certified. State officials have said they cannot revoke their votes. ITS NOT ONLY ABOUT THE PRESIDENTIAL RACEIn Alaska, Republican Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer, has said he plans to seek an audit of votes cast on a statewide ballot initiative to do away with party primaries. Thats after Trump and some of his supporters cast doubt on the technology used to tabulate votes again, with no evidence of serious irregularities. Dominion Voting Systems, one of the largest voting technology providers in the country, denied what it called false assertions about vote-switching and software issues with its systems. In this instance, its not the Trump campaign asking for an audit. Rather, Meyer said the machines proved accurate during the primary, but that he is seeking an audit because so many people think our Dominion machines are faulty, corrupt and easily manipulated, and I think a lot of this is misinformation thats coming from the national level.The audit would happen after results are certified, and wouldnt change the outcome. WHAT HAPPENS NOW? There have been no widespread findings of fraud in any state during the 2020 elections. At most, election officials have cited routine instances of human error or minor technical problems. Trumps own election security agency declared the 2020 presidential election to have been the most secure in history. (Though days after that statement was issued, Trump fired the agencys leader. ) At this point its unlikely that any audit in any state could uncover problems large enough to sway election results. ___Associated Press coverage of voting rights receives support in part from Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

###CLAIM: `` attention to something wrong is what the photo caption tries to get you to pay attention to, '' he said. ###DOCS: The woman who says NRL star Jack de Belin raped her sent a second message on social media asking for help during the night, a jury has heard. Jurors had already heard the then-19-year-old woman sent a 'help' message to a friend on Instagram moments after leaving the St George Illawarra forward and his co-accused Callan Sinclair outside a Wollongong nightclub in the early hours of December 9, 2018. But the existence of the second message - not mentioned in the woman's evidence - emerged during evidence from Kiama man Toby Nobes on Wednesday. Mr Nobes said he'd participated in a Santa pub crawl on December 8, drinking heavily. After waking up at a bus stop later that night, he realised his phone was missing and went home. Jack de Belin's alleged rape victim told court she sent second text asking for help. The trial will resume on ThursdayThe next day he found the phone at the North Wollongong Hotel and discovered the woman had messaged him on Snapchat. 'It just said "help",' Mr Nobes told the Wollongong District Court. He said the text was a caption on a photo of 'nothing in particular'. Mr Nobes wasn't sure when the message came in or to what extent he replied to it. As is standard on Snapchat, the messages were automatically deleted shortly after being viewed. De Belin, 29, and Sinclair, 23, have both pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting the woman in a North Wollongong unit on the night of the Santa pub crawl. Jack de Belin (left) and friend Callan Sinclair (right) were charged over the alleged rapeBoth men say the sexual activity was consensual. Mr Nobes told the court he received another photo via Snapchat from the woman on December 9 of a floor. The photo caption was 'trying to get my attention that something was wrong', he said. The woman was at the time in a police station reporting the alleged rape. Mr Nobes said he couldn't recall any other messages the pair sent each other. The court has seen records that the woman said 'I got raped' and that it was 'hard to say how it all happened'. The trial resumes on Thursday.

###CLAIM: a study by the law firm fox, price waterhouse and partners examining pay gaps in the nation 's 350 largest financial firms said women board members made an average of 100 pounds a year while men earned 22. ###DOCS: LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Female directors at Britains biggest financial services firms earn 66% less than their male counterparts on average, research showed on Monday, despite a rise in the number of women on company boards in recent years. Women board members made 247,100 pounds ($349,720) on average per year while men earned 722,300 pounds, said the study by law firm Fox & Partners, which examined pay gaps in financial firms that are among the nations 350 largest listed companies. Despite having greater levels of diversity at more junior levels, financial services firms are still struggling to reflect that shift at the senior executive level, said Catriona Watt, partner at Fox & Partners. In order to see long-term change, firms must be committed to taking steps that will lead to more women progressing through the ranks, getting into senior executive positions and closing the pay gap, she said in a statement. The number of women on FTSE 350 company boards has jumped by 50% in the last five years, reaching 1,026 in 2020, according to the Hampton-Alexander Review, an independent body aiming to boost gender diversity on FTSE boards. More than a third of board positions are now held by women too, the Review said last week, hitting a target that it had set for the end of 2020. Yet disparities exist, even at the top. The Fox & Partners study said female directors in FTSE 350 financial services firms were mostly in non-executive roles, which meant they were paid less and had fewer responsibilities than men. These shocking figures prove the gender pay gap is thriving, said Felicia Willow, head of womens rights group the Fawcett Society, which was not involved with the report. There are not enough women in top roles and those who have made it are all too often paid less than men.A year ago, Britain suspended the need for companies to report on the gender pay gap in their workforces due to the coronavirus pandemic, a step the government said would not derail attempts to pay men and women fairly. Since 2017 the government has required employers with more than 250 employees to submit gender pay gap figures every year in a bid to reduce pay disparities. The gap narrowed last year, with men earning 15.5% more than women on average, down from 17.4% in 2019, according to official data. Companies will now have until Oct. 5 to report on pay gaps, according to the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

###CLAIM: for the first time i expect the white house and nsa to come forward and say who stole these elections and the individuals in government who wanted and did the right thing. ###DOCS: Comment on this story Comment Gift Article ShareIn this edition: Garbage time in Georgia, the latest challenge to the presidential election certification, and the races left unfinished as the new Congress is sworn in. The hottest trend of 2021 will be starting newsletters with occasionally funny jokes. This is The Trailer. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight SUGAR HILL, Ga. Dan Knab voted Republican in November. He voted again, by absentee ballot, for Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue (R-Ga.) ahead of the Jan. 5 runoff. But he expects all of it to be rigged. Were going to hear that the Democrats won, because the voting devices theyre using today are connected to the Internet, said Knab, 66, as he waited for a Republican get-out-the-vote rally. I expect that the White House, the NSA, and individuals in government that want to do whats right are going to come forward and say: Here's how this election was stolen.AdvertisementThe two-month runoff campaign, which has already smashed fundraising, spending and turnout records, might have been the first of a post-Trump era. But the presidents refusal to concede has repeatedly reshaped the race. And President Trumps tactics have been rebooted by the Republican nominees. At a Saturday stop in Carrollton, Ga., Loeffler warned Republican voters that Democratic control of Washington would lead to permanent lockdowns and the passage of a Green New Deal that would cost every family $75,000. (There was no cost estimate in the 2019 Green New Deal resolution, so conservative think tanks have made their own.) At every event, Loeffler warns that Democrats would defund the police, an idea rejected by both candidates. The character attacks on both Democrats go further. Republicans have portrayed Jon Ossoff as both a wealthy do-nothing and a puppet of the Chinese Communist Party, based on a Hong Kong media company purchasing a documentary from Ossoffs firm; theyve painted Raphael Warnock as a genuine danger, a threat to women and children, and an ally of international Marxists. AdvertisementRaphael Warnock has been involved in child abuse, domestic abuse, Loeffler said at her Saturday rallies. Weve learned this morning that the lawyer for Harvey Weinstein has been contributing to his campaign. I dont think thats a coincidence.Ossoff, whos waging his second campaign in four years, has been put through the ringer before. The Republican runoff effort has focused more on Warnock, starting with stories about Warnocks criticism of Israel and ending, last week, with body-camera footage of Warnocks ex-wife telling police that her husband had run over her foot with their car. Ive tried to keep the way that he acts under wraps for a long time, but today he crossed the line, Ouleye Ndoye said. Hes a great actor. He is phenomenal at putting on a really good show. That quote made it into a Loeffler ad, which ends by encouraging domestic violence victims to call a hotline. (The abuse allegation was first reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in March.) AdvertisementThe other attacks are thinner. The child abuse claim grew out of Warnock, in 2002, telling camp counselors accused of misconduct to get legal counsel when police interviewed them. The Weinstein attack came after attorney David Boies donated to a Democratic Georgia political action committee, not to Warnock directly. Democrats have responded in two ways: Accusing the Republicans of constant distraction, and lowering their own bar for attacking them. When asked about Loefflers accusations, Warnock has condemned the senator for campaigning with Rep.-elect Marjorie Taylor Greene, a conspiracy theorist who represents deep-red northwest Georgia. Ossoff, who interacts far more with the press, used an impromptu Fox News interview to repeatedly say that Loeffler has been campaigning with a Klansman. When confronted by CNN on Sunday a former member of the Ku Klux Klan got a picture with Loeffler, who denounced him Ossoff simply insisted he was telling the truth. Its even more distressing that this isnt an isolated incident, Ossoff said. Kelly Loeffler has repeatedly posed for photographs and been seen campaigning alongside radical white supremacists.AdvertisementTactics like that have kept both Democrats in the hunt, if not slightly stronger. Republicans ended the early-vote period behind their numbers from the Nov. 3 election. The GOP share of the electorate was the same, while Democratic turnout was higher. While the president is campaigning in northwest Georgia tomorrow, he has shown far more interest in reversing his loss in Georgia than in messaging for Loeffler or Perdue. In a 35-minute call with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R), a recording of which was obtained by The Washington Post, the president urged the states top election official to fabricate a new vote count that put him ahead of Joe Biden. He barely mentioned the Senate races. As vividly negative as the campaign has been, nothing has resonated like the idea that turning out in the Senate race will help the president. The legacy of Donald Trump is at stake in Georgia, said former Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski, joined by Republican senators and congressional candidates at a rally in Sugar Hill, Ga. See, the country is looking at you saying: We can steal another one. They stole the last one. Dont kid yourself.AdvertisementFixating Republicans on the Senate race, and not the fraud allegations boosted by the president, started out as a challenge. Its still a challenge. At Sundays rally, when Club for Growth President David McIntosh started a chant of Vote, a section of the crowd chanted Stop the steal! instead. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) warned that an ambitious left-wing agenda would pass if the runoff races were lost, from statehood for Washington, D.C., to a packed Supreme Court. The voters who reached him after the speech thanked him for challenging the Jan. 6 certification of Bidens win. Asked about that and the Trump-Raffensperger call, Cruz refused to talk about it. Im going to answer what I think matters for the voters of Georgia, and what matters for the voters of Georgia is the special election that is happening on Tuesday, Cruz said. I get the media wants to report all sorts of things and get everyone distracted by whatever else is going on.Reading listAhead of runoffs, civic groups in Georgia mount ambitious campaign to mobilize Black voters, by Cleve R. Wootson Jr. and Vanessa WilliamsAdvertisementInside the effort to turn out Georgias biggest Democratic electorate. Trump fumes at Georgia Republicans ahead of his runoff rally, by Greg BluesteinHow the presidents election protests keep shaping the race. Growing number of Trump loyalists in the Senate vow to challenge Bidens victory, by Philip Rucker and Josh DawseyCongressional Republicans dont have the votes to overturn the election, but more than 100 are exploring it. The multimillion-dollar candidate. Youth voter turnout in Georgia runoffs shows signs of sustained enthusiasm post-November, by Michelle Ye Hee LeeHow get-out-the-vote campaigns discovered reluctant Democrats that could be turned out. AdvertisementPerdue si, socialism no. Covid can kill: Lawmakers issue fresh warnings about virus after death of Rep.-elect Luke Letlow, by David Nakamura and Fenit NirappilWill the fate of a 41-year-old father change any minds about the pandemic? Autogolpe watchThe effort to challenge the Nov. 3 presidential election results has settled into a pattern. First, theres an accusation, then a lawsuit. Then when thats rejected, theres a hearing during which the accusation can be aired unfiltered, whether or not it is true. Saturdays events fit into that pattern. In the morning, 11 Republican senators announced that they would join Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) to challenge the election results, and a few hours later, the office of Vice President Pence said he shares the concerns of millions of Americans about voter fraud and irregularities in the last election. For the first time in 144 years, the electoral vote in multiple states would be contested in Congress. AdvertisementThis was both surprising and inevitable, coming after the Senates hearing Dec. 16 on election fraud (which Hawley was part of) and after the failure of a lawsuit that argued that Pence could reject electoral votes if he so chooses. The lawsuit was rejected in district court and in the conservative U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. It was also opposed by the Justice Department. But the courts did not go into great detail, saying that the lawsuits were brought by people who did not have standing to sue. In effect, the ruling would be that youve got to go to the streets and be as violent as antifa and BLM, said one plaintiff, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tex. ), on Friday. While Gohmert railed, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) organized. His letter, which brought the number of Republican senators challenging the election to 12, argued that the allegations of fraud and irregularities in the 2020 election exceed any in our lifetimes, and that Congress must immediately appoint an Electoral Commission, with full investigatory and fact-finding authority, to conduct an emergency 10-day audit of the election returns in the disputed states.Who would volunteer to serve on the commission? Whod pay for it? The letter skipped the details and focused on what could happen after an emergency audit was completed, days before the next president takes office: Individual states would evaluate the Commission's findings and could convene a special legislative session to certify a change in their vote, if needed. Why would these be special sessions, given that all but one state contested by Republicans Nevada will have begun its ordinary legislative session before Inauguration Day? Thats also unexplained. The Republican infighting sparked off by Cruzs letter, and Hawleys previous promise to challenge the results, clarified just what the challenges are designed to do. Both refer not to evidence of voter fraud, but to allegations that it might have happened. At the very least, Congress should investigate allegations of voter fraud and adopt measures to secure the integrity of our elections, said Hawley, who introduced his own election reform legislation at the end of the last Congress. Cruzs letter cited the precedent of the 1877 electoral college fight, when Congress created a special commission to investigate the results but the commission, dominated by Republicans, handed every contested vote to its nominee, doing nothing to debunk credible fraud allegations. This makes more sense when considered as a pattern. At state legislative hearings last month, Republicans heard accusations of election fraud from people that were quickly debunked, like a man who told Georgia legislators that hardware not connected to the Internet could be remotely hacked. In court, they produced no fraud claims, focusing instead on getting millions of votes disqualified by arguing that election officials didnt have the power to expand ballot access without permission from Republican state legislatures. But because the courts neither received nor adjudicated actual fraud charges, Republicans like Gohmert argued that they hadnt really been debunked. Hawley argued that, too. After brushback from colleagues, he put out a weekend statement arguing that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court threw out a lawsuit asking for all absentee voting to be invalidated without hearing the merits. Hawley didnt allege fraud, instead writing (correctly) that the state legislature passed a law expanding absentee voting in 2019, then writing (misleadingly) that state officials put the new law into effect in November. In reality, the law had been in effect for several elections, including the states tortured and delayed June primary a fact that harmed the Republican lawsuit, as they had waited until losing an election to quibble with the rules. Why does one odd phrasing in a news release matter? Because weve been here before: An allegation is made, a court rejects it, and a hearing is called so the allegation can be aired again. Senators and members of the House can say nearly anything they want in floor debate, and each challenge of a state on Jan. 6 will create hours of debate. In a statement endorsing the GOP challenges, the vice presidents office said Republicans could raise objections and bring forward evidence before the Congress and the American people. It never made sense when pro-Trump conservatives argued that the Supreme Court could hear their allegations of voter fraud thats not what the court does but nothing stops Republicans from airing those allegations on C-SPAN. Democratic reaction to this, and to President Trumps endorsement of an 11 a.m. Stop the Steal rally before the certification, has leaned more toward irritation than panic. Theyre not worried about Pence assuming extra-constitutional powers that he has already rejected in that Justice Department filing in the Gohmert suit. Just two Republicans could vote down the challenges, and at least four have said they will do so: Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.), Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.). But they expect to spend hours dealing with this, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), the top Democrat on the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, has said Democrats are prepared to counter the allegations and defend the contested states elections. We are ready for every contingency, Klobuchar told The Posts Mike DeBonis this week. This isnt like we just woke up this morning and said, Oh, this is coming up! Weve been working on this since Election Day.Ad watchJon Ossoff, Georgia. Twelve years ago, when a race for this Senate seat in Georgia went to a runoff, President-elect Barack Obama didnt campaign for the Democrat. The states bluer now, and Obama voices this spot which completes Ossoffs weeks-long strategy: Turn the race into a second vote for Joe Biden. Georgia stepped up. Now, Americas counting on you again, Obama says, emphasizing Ossoffs pledge to pass more health insurance reforms and a new Voting Rights Act. David Perdue, Total Democrat Control. Republicans are closing out the Senate runoffs with the argument that Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) gave them two months ago: Defeat in Georgia would let Democrats run everything in Washington. If theyre in charge, America will never be the same, a narrator says, as an image of a communist American flag dissolves into Perdue walking with determination toward the camera. Kelly Loeffler, Job to Do. Loefflers version of the closing argument ad looks like Perdues, with a little more verve and guitar riffs. Loefflers remarks from last months Trump rally in Valdosta, Ga., are cut together with familiar warnings of how Democrats would wreck the country. Stop socialism in its tracks, a narrator says. Dems in disarrayThe 117th Congress was seated Sunday. Mostly. A death in Louisiana, a court fight in New York, and that little runoff in Georgia have left three of 535 seats open, and an ongoing Democratic challenge to a House race in Iowa could add to the Democrats majority, or leave it as is. Georgias situation is unique: Sen. David Perdues term expired at noon Sunday, and he wont rejoin the Senate unless he wins Tuesday, a process that will take days or weeks to conclude. (Even in a rout, it takes a while for a state to complete a final canvass of votes.) In Louisiana, the death of Rep.-elect Luke Letlow just weeks after his runoff win will keep the 5th Congressional District vacant until a special election later this year. Both Republicans and Democrats expect that to be bundled with a special election for the neighboring 2nd Congressional District, which Rep. Cedric L. Richmond (D-La.) is vacating to join the Biden administration. Theres no more voting underway in New Yorks 22nd Congressional District, but the seat remained vacant today as attorneys for Rep. Anthony Brindisi, a Democrat, and former congresswoman Claudia Tenney, a Republican, fought over the validity of dozens of contested ballots. Tenney ended the last count up by 29 votes, and the winner will be seated after challenges conclude. Twelve years ago, when Senate Republicans objected to the seating of Minnesotas Al Franken until challenges were exhausted, the Democrat wasnt seated until July. Iowas 2nd Congressional District did get representation on Sunday, when Democrats seated Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks. But they did so provisionally, and their rules package, also passed Sunday, provided funding for the challenge brought by Democrat Rita Hart, who ended the states official count down by just six votes, the closest House election anywhere in the country in this century. On Dec. 22, Hart filed a challenge with the House Committee on Administration, arguing that 22 ballots had been disqualified even though they were cast by valid voters and that counting them would put her ahead. Miller-Meeks has 19 more days to respond to that challenge, after which the committee will decide whether to take it up. Republicans, even as theyve argued for overturning presidential vote margins of 10,000 votes or more, have resolutely defended Miller-Meeks. The Congressional Leadership Fund conducted a poll in the district, finding a majority of voters wanting the election over with Miller-Meeks seated, and Iowa editorial boards have chastened Hart for seeking relief in the House instead of courts. (Harts argument: Relying on the court might have meant Miller-Meeks was seated before a final decision, at which point there would be no way to unseat her.) On New Years Eve, the Hart campaign gathered some of the affected voters on a conference call, such as Sadie Bromberg, a Democrat who learned too late that her absentee ballot was rejected because she taped it closed. I was pretty disappointed, because voting is very important to me as a woman and as an American citizen, Bromberg said. If the House Committee rejects the challenge, its over. If Hart ends up prevailing, the Democratic majority can vote whether to seat her. But either resolution is weeks away. Countdown... two days until runoffs in Georgia... three days until a joint session of Congress to certify the presidential election... 17 days until the inaugurationGiftOutline Gift Article

###CLAIM: walsh took to twitter to share an email she received from a go fund me/trust/safety team informing the family that no fundraising fund has been accepted. ###DOCS: Conservative commentator Matt Walsh revealed on Saturday that the "family" of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's grandmother will not be accepting the money he raised to repair her home after the New York Democrat blamed former President Donald Trump for blocking aid that was supposed to be sent to Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. Walsh took to Twitter and shared an email he received from the GoFundMe Trust & Safety Team, who informed him that they had been in communications with the "beneficiary's family," who made it clear that "they will not be accepting the funds raised." "When a beneficiary doesn't want to accept the funds that have been raised on their behalf, it is standard practice to turn off donations, then refund all donors," GoFundMe told Walsh. MATT WALSH LAUNCHES FUNDRAISER FOR AOC'S ABUELA AFTER DEM BLAMED TRUMP FOR HOME DAMAGE FROM HURRICANE MARIA"UPDATE: someone in AOCs abuelas family told GoFundMe that she wont take the money, even though AOC previously claimed that her grandma was in dire straits (and it was Trumps fault)," Walsh tweeted Saturday morning. "@AOC still hasnt acknowledged this effort or thanked us." Walsh continued: "Tragically this charitable effort has been sabotaged by forces outside of our control. Still Im grateful for the outpouring of support for abuela, even if AOC isnt. But questions remain: Why didnt AOC help her own abuela? Why was our help turned down? We are left to speculate. In the end, our campaign raised 100 thousand dollars and could have solved a problem in ten hours that AOC couldnt solve in four years. We can all be proud of that. As for abuela, all we can do now is pray." The #HelpAbuela raised $104,153 in less than 12 hours. Walsh disabled new donations on the GoFundMe page Friday night. A spokesperson for GoFundMe confirmed to Fox News that the "beneficiary" did not want to accept the money and that "all donors will be fully refunded." Ocasio-Cortez's office did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment. On Tuesday, the Democratic "Squad" member took to Twitter following her visit to her "abuela" ("grandmother" in Spanish) for the first time since the coronavirus outbreak and documented the damage to her home that remained from the natural disaster in 2017. AOC SAYS GOP CAUCUS MADE UP OF WHITE SUPREMACIST SYMPATHIZERS,' SUGGESTS MCCARTHY ANSWERS TO QANON"Just over a week ago, my abuela fell ill. I went to Puerto Rico to see her- my 1st time in a year+ bc of COVID. This is her home," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted while sharing images of buckets on the floor catching leaking water and damage to the ceiling. "Hurricane Maria relief hasnt arrived. Trump blocked relief $ for PR. People are being forced to flee ancestral homes, & developers are taking them." She continued, "We immediately got to work reaching out to community advocates and leaders and following the money. Whats happening to Puerto Ricans is systemic. Much of it can be traced to La Junta, aka the Wall Street-connected fiscal control board that the US gave power to over the island." Ocasio-Cortez accused the Trump administration of overseeing "millions in public $" being handed to "unqualified donor pals" and imposing "extremely difficult eligibility rules for Puerto Ricans, which allowed mass rejections of recovery fund applications." "I want to be clear - while Trump admin had a major role, it wasnt just them," the congresswoman wrote in the Twitter thread. "La Junta, local policies, etc were all on the same page: policies that pushed out local families. To turn this around, we need audits & get recovery relief to people ASAP, without the onerous strings. And for the record - my abuela is doing okay. Its not about us, but about whats happening to Puerto Ricans across the island. She had a place to go to and be cared for - what about the thousands of people who dont?" AOC: ANYONE WHO USES TERM SURGE ABOUT BORDER CRISIS IS INVOKING A MILITARISTIC FRAMEAt the time, Walsh reacted to her tweets saying, "Shameful that you live in luxury while allowing your own grandmother to suffer in these squalid conditions." The Democrat fired back, "You dont even have a concept for the role that 1st-gen, first-born daughters play in their families. My abuela is okay. But instead of only caring for mine & letting others suffer, Im calling attention to the systemic injustices you seem totally fine w/ in having a US colony." On Friday, Walsh launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to "Save AOC's Abuela's Ancestral Home." "One cannot be certain of the cost to repair grandmas house, but surely most of the work could be completed for the price of AOCs shiny Tesla Model 3," Walsh wrote in the campaign description. "Sadly, virtue-signaling isnt going to fix abuelas roof. So we are. Walsh continued, "Lets all kick in to help save AOCs abuelas ancestral home. Any amount is appreciated, but the cost of a monthly lease payment on that Tesla is around $499... All proceeds will be donated to abuela, if she will accept them." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe Daily Wire personality promoted the fundraiser on Twitter, revealing he kicked off the fundraising with a $499 donation, which he stressed is the cost of a Tesla monthly lease payment. The #HelpAbuela campaign had attracted big-name donors including Ben Shapiro, Candace Owens, and Dave Rubin.

###CLAIM: pursues are being pursued to prohibit salvaging carcasses hit on interstate highways, and also rule requiring daylight animal collection. ###DOCS: New Wyoming law will allow people to take road kill to eatWyoming Department of Transportation employees Richard Wilson and Shirley Weerhein pick up the carcass of an elk hit by a vehicle on Dec. 18, 2018, along Highway 191, southeast of Hoback Junction, Wyo. Legislation recently signed into law by Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon will allow people to salvage road-killed animals for food. (Ryan Dorgan/Jackson Hole News & Guide via AP)Wyoming Department of Transportation employees Richard Wilson and Shirley Weerhein pick up the carcass of an elk hit by a vehicle on Dec. 18, 2018, along Highway 191, southeast of Hoback Junction, Wyo. Legislation recently signed into law by Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon will allow people to salvage road-killed animals for food. (Ryan Dorgan/Jackson Hole News & Guide via AP)JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) Thousands of times a year, motorists inadvertently smash into Wyoming wildlife like mule deer, elk and pronghorn antelope, littering highway right-of-ways with carcasses that sometimes include dozens or hundreds of pounds of fresh, lean, edible meat. Salvaging that meat has been illegal for generations. Thats about to change. On Monday, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon signed a bill into law that directs the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Wyoming Department of Transportation to create rules governing the harvest of road-killed carcasses by July. Its a change that gives Wyoming residents who have the misfortune of striking an animal the same liberties as people in about 30 other states, including western neighbors such as Idaho, Colorado and Montana. ADVERTISEMENTIts really hard to guess and estimate how much interest there will be, Game and Fish Chief Game Warden Rick King told the Jackson Hole Daily. Montana has been averaging about 1,000 salvage permits a year.WYDOT averages about 3,000 reports of wildlife-vehicle collisions in a year, Chief Engineer Mark Gillett said, but he noted that not every strike is reported. In Teton County alone, the roadkill tally is typically in the 300 to 400 range when pooling data collected by WYDOT, the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation and Grand Teton National Park. Sometimes a high-speed collision renders the remains inedible. But other times, collisions are glancing or lower-speed and plenty of meat is suitable for freezers, Sous vide baths, crockpots, grills and ultimately human stomachs. The legislation that Gordon signed off on imposes some notable restrictions. For one, whole carcasses will have to be removed, which means it wont be legal to lop off a quarter or carve out a backstrap from an animal that met its end in a collision. Some species are off-limits, too. Bighorn sheep, mountain goats and grizzly bears wont be salvageable, nor will wolves in the northwest corner of Wyoming where the species is managed as a trophy game animal. Some migratory birds and any species designated as threatened or endangered also cannot be taken. Deer, elk, moose, pronghorn those will be the species that folks primarily have an interest in, King said. Salvaged meat cannot be donated to nonprofits, according to the legislation. Over the next few months, Game and Fish and WYDOT will draw up draft regulations for roadkill harvests that will need to be OKd by the commissions of both agencies. ADVERTISEMENTKing is reviewing programs in other states and setting out to create a system thats simple, with salvage permits available electronically. The legislation does not authorize the agencies to charge a fee for each permit, though an $8 interstate game tag might be required. That tag would be available through wardens or any one of Game and Fishs regional offices. Wyoming legislation that would have authorized roadkill harvesting has failed several times in the past, partly out of concern that people would intentionally strike trophy animals or that it would provide cover for poachers. We dont want to create a system where people use this process to take illegal game, King said. It will be tough.At WYDOT, Gilletts main concern is for motorist safety. Most wildlife-vehicle collisions occur at night or near dawn or dusk, and some occur on high-speed freeways or roads that lack shoulders. Through the rule-making process, he said he is thinking of pursuing a prohibition of salvaging carcasses hit on interstate highways and perhaps also rules that will require animals to be collected during daylight hours. Gillett also shared concerns about competition between people who want to claim a carcass and WYDOT crews whose job it is to clean up the highways. We may pick up two, three, four animals in one pickup, Gillett said. And so I dont want somebody chasing us down trying to get their animals back.On the plus side, he said, the new salvage rules could cut WYDOT staffers workloads down a bit.

###CLAIM: `` we expect any additional deliveries next week and it is not unexpected that deliveries in the week of march will be even, '' the official said. ###DOCS: Johnson & Johnson will ship the first batch of its coronavirus vaccine to states and pharmacies on Monday, just two days after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave Emergency Use Authorization. The pharmaceutical company said it planned to roll out 3.9 million doses to state and local governments based on the size of the local adult population as well as federal distribution sites and select pharmacies. Unlike the vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer, which require two doses for full immunization, the J &J vaccines only need one dose, according to the FDA. "For the last 13 months our physicians, our scientists, our engineers have been working around the clock to make this day possible," Alex Gorsky, CEO of Johnson & Johnson, said during an appearance on "Good Morning America" on Monday. "We couldn't be more excited." The J &J vaccine does not use the mRNA technology used in the other two approved vaccines, which teach cells to make a protein that prompts an immune response. Instead, the J &J vaccine uses a viral vector method where a different virus is introduced as a bit of coronavirus genetic material into the cells. The body's immune system then learns to identify and overcome the coronavirus. Vials of Johnson & Johnson's Janssen coronavirus disease vaccine candidate are seen in an undated photograph. Johnson & Johnson via ReutersThe J &J vaccine can be stored in normal refrigerators while the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines need to be stored at below-freezing temperatures. In its trials, the pharmaceutical company said its vaccine was 85% effective at preventing severe illness and 100% effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths 28 days after individuals were vaccinated. "It's important to remember about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is we did the clinical trials roughly from October 2020 to January of this year and it was really during the peak of the incidence rate of this virus," Gorsky said. The vaccine was tested in countries known to have potentially more dangerous variants, including Brazil and South Africa. The data found the vaccine worked against all known variants at preventing severe disease. The J &J doses will be administered based on the eligibility requirements of each state. A Johnson & Johnson worker prepares a syringe during the Phase 3 ENSEMBLE trial of its Janssen coronavirus disease vaccine candidate in an undated photograph. Johnson & Johnson via ReutersOfficials at the White House told ABC News they project 20 million doses will be delivered by the end of the month, but its not clear when exactly those doses will arrive. We do not expect any additional deliveries next week, and we expect deliveries to be uneven during the weeks of March, the official said. .As of Sunday, the U.S. has delivered nearly 96.5 million coronavirus vaccine doses and administered 75.2 million doses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 24.8 million Americans, roughly 7.5% of the U.S. population, have had two doses of the mRNA vaccines, according to the CDC. By the end of June, J &J is expected to have produced 100 million vaccine doses. Pfizer and Moderna are expected to deliver enough vaccines to immunize 300 million people by mid-summer, according to federal health leaders. "When I say 100 million in the first half of the year that's 100 million shots in arms for Americans and even more for people around the world so this will be an important addition for health care systems and patients and consumers around the world," Gorsky said. ABC News' Anne Flaherty and Stephanie Ebbs contributed to this report.

###CLAIM: corentin and moutet lost a couple of breaks in the deciding decision to italian qualifiers lorenzo and giustino in the second longest match on the tour. ###DOCS: PARIS (Reuters) - Unseeded Kazakh Alexander Bublik upset local hope and eighth seed Gael Monfils 6-4 7-5 3-6 6-3 in the opening round of the French Open on Monday for his first career win over a top-10 player in six attempts. Slideshow ( 3 images )Monfils, ranked number nine in the world, started strongly to run up a 3-0 lead in the opening set but Bublik stormed back into the match by winning five straight games to take the set. The Frenchman had a set point in the second but once again saw his advantage wither away as the 23-year-old Bublik, ranked 49th in the world, took a 2-0 lead with a third break of serve in the set. Monfils, 34, looked out of gas in the third and somehow managed to find some energy to break the Kazakh twice to stay in the running but it was not enough as Bublik closed out the match with a double break in the fourth set. It was the third successive opening-match loss for Monfils in as many tournaments since the resumption of the professional tour after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. I dont play well, its as simple as that, said Monfils. Im going to go home, take some time for myself, train and see when Im going to start competing again.The 2008 French Open semi-finalist had 12 double faults in the match, many at crucial moments, and his 58th unforced error sealed a second-round spot for Bublik on his second match point. It was a bad day for the French as Corentin Moutet, despite being up a break a couple of times in the decider, lost 0-6 7-6(7) 7-6(3) 2-6 18-16 in six hours and five minutes to Italian qualifier Lorenzo Giustino in the tournaments second longest match. The record dates back to 2004, when Fabrice Santoro beat Arnaud Clement 6-4 6-3 6-7(5) 3-6 16-14 in six hours and 33 minutes in an all-French first-round match.

###CLAIM: the president urged supporters to convene in the nation 's capital that day, which set in motion dramatic clashes inside and outside congress. ###DOCS: Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. On Saturday morning, the day after Christmas, President Donald Trump took to Twitter to continue his attack on political institutions and figures who have failed to get in line with his authoritarian mission of overturning the democratic will of Americas voters, who, after four years of his administration, clearly chose his opponent. Since Election Day, Trump and his allies have contested nearly every stage recording, certifying, or otherwise formalizing his defeat. The next major opportunity to do soand the most significant one between now and Joe Bidens inauguration on January 20is when Congress meets to count the electoral votes sent from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The president is urging his supporters to convene in the nations capital that day, setting up dramatic clashes both inside and outside Congress. The Justice Department and the FBI have done nothing about the 2020 Presidential Election Voter Fraud, the biggest SCAM in our nations history, despite overwhelming evidence. They should be ashamed. History will remember. Never give up. See everyone in D.C. on January 6th. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 26, 2020While it is unlikely that Trump supporters in Congress can replace any Biden-supporting electorsthat would take the cooperation or assent of the Democratic-controlled Houseobjections from some of the presidents staunchest allies could significantly delay the proceedings. They are also likely to help further calcify on the right two corrosive notions: that Trump rightfully won the election, and that Washingtons top Republicans failed to stick up for him. Over the past two months, Trump supporters have come to Washington, DC several times to protest the election and push for Trump to stay in the White House. One recent event featured Proud Boys, a neo-fascist organization that supports Trump, participating in violent acts and vandalizing several of the citys historically Black churches. Comment on this story Comment Gift Article ShareRegarding the Dec. 21 front-page article President redoubles efforts to defy vote: Before anyone else gets hurt or worse someone ought to inform President Trump and his throng of supporters that there is no Santa Claus. There will be no surprise presidential gift box under the Christmas tree this year. Come noon Jan. 20, Joe Biden will be president. Its over. Evidently, whats not over is the continued fomenting of anger and the pouring of salt into already raw Trump-loyalist wounds. According to polls, more than a third of registered voters believe the election was stolen from Mr. Trump. Of course they do. Their Republican leaders including Sen. Ron Johnson (Wis.) and his ilk, too many to name reinforce such repeatedly debunked nonsense from their seats of power in Washington. Yet another march in Washington in support of Mr. Trump is being planned for Jan 6. The president is encouraging turnout by advertising it as a wild time. Is that a dog whistle for more disruption and violence? Remember, he had the audacity to even entertain the unleashing of martial law. AdvertisementIf Democrats had ever displayed such antidemocratic behavior, Republicans wouldnt be able to find enough tar and feathers. Lets remember who these Republicans are and civilly remove them from office come 2022. They and their mindless and dangerous ways need to go home and stay there. Larry Checco, Silver SpringThe Joint Chiefs of Staff, on behalf of the American people, should, in light of their positions and functions, and that of our entire military, in times of transition of power, assure the American people that they will not involve themselves, or our armed forces, in any way in declaring martial law. This may be their greatest test of whether this nation, so conceived and dedicated to freedom and democracy, can long endure. On behalf of all of us who have served in the armed forces, urge them to remember their duty, honor and country. AdvertisementPhil Sbarbaro, Cape Cod, Mass. In his very perceptive and helpful Dec. 18 op-ed, The Republican lemmings, David Ignatius began with a good question and ended with a damning answer. He asked, What are Republican members of Congress so scared about that theyre still clinging to crazy conspiracy theories? His answer:The message is to move on, but its hard for Republicans to hear when theyre hunkered down still intimidated by Trump and frightened by an angry base that seems to have lost the ability to separate election fact from fiction.Theyve seen themselves in the mirror of this mess, and what they see scares them to death. The most important thing to most of our so-called leaders is their determination to stay at the head of the parade, even if it means that they lead us all over a cliff. AdvertisementRepublicans have only themselves to blame for their own debacle. They very deliberately created and cultivated the angry base they are now so frightened by. Frankensteins monster has turned on his/her/its creators. I think it serves them right. Unfortunately, it means they do much that is wrong in self-serving defense. I am a lifelong independent because I saw and see reasonable, responsible patriots on both sides. I prefer to vote on the basis of what we can get done together, not dividing and conquering in the name of ideology. Mr. Ignatius wrote, Republicans should stop this death spiral for their own good. I would argue they need to stop it for the good of us all. Richard Sheffield, Hummelstown, Pa.GiftOutline Gift Article

###CLAIM: fish, wildlife and service agreed that a re-evaluation of bear-bear protection territories and settlement with the timber industry would follow the 2018 u. s. supreme court decision involving different federal protection species. ###DOCS: The Trump administration said Wednesday that it would slash millions of acres of protected habitat designated for the imperiled northern spotted owl in Oregon, Washington state and Northern California. Much of the land is in prime timber locations in Oregon's coastal ranges. Environmentalists immediately decried the move and accused the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under President Donald Trump of taking a parting shot at protections designed to help restore the species in favor of the timber industry. The tiny owl is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and was rejected for an upgrade to endangered status last year by the federal agency despite losing nearly 4% of its population annually. "This revision guts protected habitat for the northern spotted owl by more than a third. It's Trump's latest parting gift to the timber industry and another blow to a species that needs all the protections it can get to fully recover," said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director for the Center for Biological Diversity. In this May 8, 2003, file photo, a Northern Spotted Owl flies after an elusive mouse jumping off the end of a stick in the Deschutes National Forest near Camp Sherman, Oregon. Don Ryan / APTimber groups applauded the decision, which won't take effect for 60 days. More thinning and management of protected forests is necessary to prevent wildfires, which devastated about 300 acres of spotted owl habitat last fall, said Travis Joseph, president of the American Forest Resources Council. Loss of the ability to log in areas protected for the spotted owl has devastated rural communities, he said. The 3.4 million acres removed from federal protections Wednesday includes all of Oregon's so-called O&C lands, which are big timber territory. The more than 2 million acres (809,000 hectares) are spread in a checkerboard pattern over 18 counties in western Oregon. "This rule rights a wrong imposed on rural communities and businesses and gives us a chance to restore balance to federal forest management and species conservation in the Pacific Northwest," Joseph said. The Fish and Wildlife Service agreed in a settlement with the timber industry to reevaluate the spotted owls' protected territory following a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision involving a different federally protected species. The Trump administration has moved to roll back protections for waterways and wetlands, narrow protections for wildlife facing extinction and open more public land to oil and gas drilling. But for decades, the federal government has been trying to save the northern spotted owl, a native bird that sparked an intense battle over logging across Washington, Oregon and California. The dark-eyed owl prefers to nest in old-growth forests and received federal protections in 1990, a listing that dramatically redrew the economic landscape for the Pacific Northwest timber industry and launched a decadeslong battle between environmentalists and loggers. Old-growth Douglas firs, many 100 to 200 years old, that are preferred by the owl are also of great value to loggers. After the owl was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, earning it a Time magazine cover, U.S. officials halted logging on millions of acres of old-growth forests on federal lands to protect the bird's habitat. But the population kept declining, and it faces another threat: competition from the barred owl. The Fish and Wildlife Service has since said the northern spotted owl warrants being moved up to the more robust "endangered" status because of continued population declines. But the agency refused to do so last year, saying other species took higher priority. That decision is facing a legal challenge led by the Center for Biological Diversity.

###CLAIM: in the wild, animals up to 14 years old have been discovered, surprising as animals such as mice and senators in modern days have lifespans of one to two years. ###DOCS: (CNN) Earth's earliest mammals spent their lives at a more leisurely pace than their modern counterparts, but they lived a lot longer, analysis of some 200-million-year-old teeth has shown. Using X-ray technology, palaeontologists studied the fossilized teeth of some of Earth's earliest mammals, Morganucodon and Kuehneotherium, shrew-sized insectivores that walked the earth alongside early dinosaurs during the Early Jurassic marine transgression, in what is now Glamorgan in South Wales. Experts from the UK's University of Bristol and Finland's University of Helsinki studied growth rings in the mammals' tooth sockets, discovering the animals lived for up to 14 years -- surprising, given similarly sized modern-day animals, such as mice and shrews, have a lifespan of between one and two years in the wild. The tiny mammals had fallen into caves and holes in the rock, where their skeletons and teeth fossilized and remained well preserved. "We digitally reconstructed the tooth roots in 3-D and these showed that Morganucodon lived for up to 14 years, and Kuehneotherium for up to nine years. I was dumbfounded as these lifespans were much longer than the one to three years we anticipated for tiny mammals of the same size," Dr Elis Newham, Research Associate at the University of Bristol, said in a statement. A micro-CT scan of a fossil Morganucodon tooth root from 200 million years ago, showing annual growth rings. Read More

###CLAIM: german foreign minister heiko maas, speaking with blinken before a conference on the fragile libyan peace process, said berlin had a range of possibilities and would act soon. ###DOCS: BERLIN, June 18 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel will meet U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in Berlin on Wednesday, her spokesperson said. Blinken will also meet Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and attend a Libya conference hosted by Germany and the United Nations, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry said on Friday. Reporting by Andreas Rinke Writing by Caroline CopleyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

###CLAIM: petite said the unique and lucrative thing about marketing is that you send relevant messages based on customer behavior. ###DOCS: Internet shopping has risen in popularity during the pandemic, but how will retailers be able to ... [+] hold onto those customers? gettyThe effects of Covid-19 and lockdowns over the past 15 months have been a death knell for both high street stores and small businesses alike, with one in seven physical stores now left empty in the UK. But, for some outlets, the pandemic has brought a raft of new business. In fact, according to a June 2021 report by Ofcom, British consumers spent 113 billion online during 2020 - a mammoth rise of 48% on the year before. Now, with bricks and mortar stores reopened, an ever-more vaccinated population, and seemingly no more lockdowns on the horizon, any businesses which have enjoyed a boost of online customers over the past year now have a new issue to consider: How will they retain those new customers as the world opens back up? Retailers must focus on customer relationsThe near future will see a resurgence in physical retail shopping, forecasts retail industry consultant, and author of Remarkable Retail - How to Win and Keep Customers In The Age Of Disruption, Steve Dennis. Fiona Stevens, Head of Marketing at customer loyalty platform Loyalty Lion, believes that the secret to keeping those customers and growing share of wallet is in storytelling and authenticity. The most effective way to stay connected to your customers is to be authentic and communicate the story behind your brand, she says. Over half of consumers say that a greater understanding of a brands story or history motivates them to join and contribute to a customer community, which in turn enables you to develop a far deeper and longer-lasting emotional connection, Stevens explains. Personalize your email marketing to grow online salesOne of the most effective ways to build that authentic connection is through email marketing: according to research by Emarsys, 80% of professionals have found email marketing increases their customer retention. Damon Petite, Director of Product Marketing at Mailchimp agrees that email is one of the most effective ways to retain customers - especially for small businesses: With email, small business owners are able to truly own how they reach their audiences. While social media is a great way to interact with your customers, you dont own your audience with social mediathe audience is owned by those platforms. Email is a one-to-one direct line of communication with your customer and allows you to send targeted and personalized content.Last year, Mailchimp customers sent over 37 billion emails in 2020, a 21% increase from 2019. And more connectivity meant more revenue generated online. Our e-commerce customers increased their revenue by 61% last year compared to 2019, says Petite. The secret to harnessing that power for customer retention and growing sales, says Petite, lies in personalizing that communication. Average click-through rates for segmented emails are nearly 3% higher than those for unsegmented emails and trending upward. When you send relevant messages based on customer behaviour, it makes your marketing unique and lucrative, adds Petite. Utilise loyalty schemesLoyalty schemes are another effective way which online businesses with slowing post-Covid sales can use to engage with their customers and make them feel valued. A loyalty program provides a fantastic vehicle with which to communicate brand values that customers can connect with on a longer-term basis. Stores can align earning and redemption opportunities with causes they support - for example points in exchange for recycling, or charitable donations in place of money-off rewards, says Stevens. This helps customers to feel that they are aligned with a business they have bought from, and in turn encourages them to return and repeat purchase in order to continue supporting the cause they care about, Stevens adds. Businesses should think about the added value they can offer their costumers to increase their share of wallet and build brand loyalty, too. Stevens suggests, "stores should also consider how they can use experiential rewards to make those who have bought from them feel special and valued on a long-term basis. Perks such as early access to sales or new products, exclusive access to content and double points events are all cost-effective ways of maintaining a VIP relationship with your most valuable customers.For many businesses, the lifting of lockdowns provides a myriad of reasons to celebrate. The challenge, now, is ensuring that customers decide to stay and celebrate with them.

###CLAIM: the damage caused by fan blades included two reports of consumers being hit and four reports of property being damaged. ###DOCS: New York (CNN Business) More than 190,000 ceiling fans have been recalled because the fans' blades can detach while in use. King of Fans, a Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based company that makes the 54-inch Mara ceiling fans, announced the recall on Wednesday after receiving 47 reports of blades detaching, according to a statement from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. The fans had been sold at Home Depot stores nationwide. Two of those reports indicated a detached fan blade hit someone, the commission said. Four reports said a blade caused property damage. King of Fans noted that not all of its Mara ceiling fans are being recalled. The CPSC said the recall applies to the company's Mara ceiling fans with matte white, matte black, black and polished nickel finishes. The commission instructed consumers who have purchased these items to "immediately stop" using them. "If consumers observe blade movement or uneven gaps between the blades and fan body or movement of the clip during inspection, consumers should immediately contact King of Fans for a free replacement ceiling fan," the commission said. Read More

###CLAIM: australia has consistently expressed concern that the national security law would erode hong kong 's autonomy, democratic principles and rule of law. ###DOCS: 6 Jan 2021 02.39 EST What we learned today, Wednesday 6 January This is where well leave the blog for today. Thanks for reading. Heres a recap of the days main news: The prime minister, Scott Morrison , has convened a special meeting of national cabinet for Friday, to discuss a proposal to strengthen procedures for international arrivals in light of the threat posed by the new UK strain of Covid-19. , has convened a special meeting of national cabinet for Friday, to discuss a proposal to strengthen procedures for international arrivals in light of the threat posed by the new UK strain of Covid-19. Masks will be mandatory at the Test cricket match between Australia and India, which will start tomorrow at the SCG. Victoria recorded its first mystery Covid-19 case in months. The man had attended the Boxing Day Test at the MCG and the Boxing Day sales at Chadstone shopping centre. It was its only locally acquired case today. NSW recorded four new locally acquired cases of Covid-19. The bushfire threat in Western Australia is expected to remain until Sunday. Updated at 02.44 EST6 Jan 2021 02.20 EST Scott Morrisons announcement of a special national cabinet meeting to discuss the UK strain is particularly interesting given the case of the paramedic in Western Australia who transferred a Covid-19 patient from hotel quarantine to hospital recently. WA health authorities are expected to provide further details later this evening about the paramedic, whose patient had recently arrived from the UK. Updated at 02.30 EST6 Jan 2021 02.10 EST Special national cabinet meeting convened as threat of UK strain emerges The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has convened a special meeting of national cabinet for Friday, to discuss a proposal to strengthen procedures regarding international arrivals in light of the threat posed by the new UK strain of Covid-19. The proposal to counter the strain, which is considered far more infectious, has been developed by the chief medical officer, Paul Kelly, according to a post on Morrisons official Facebook page made in the past half hour or so. The Western Australian premier, Mark McGowan, revealed yesterday that three people with the UK strain were in hotel quarantine in the state. Heres Morrisons post in full: This afternoon I contacted Premiers and Chief Ministers to convene a special meeting of National Cabinet on Friday morning. The meeting is to consider a proposal that I requested through our Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly, from our national expert medical panel, the AHPPC. The proposal is to further strengthen the COVID safety of end to end international travel processes (from arrival at Airport of embarkation in the exit country, to final clearance from hotel quarantine in Australia). This is being done particularly in the context of the UK strain. The AHPPC has continued to meet every day during this most recent outbreak, and had an initial discussion of their proposal today. They will discuss the proposal further tomorrow before making a formal submission to National Cabinet. The meeting will also provide an opportunity to further update National Cabinet on the Federal Governments vaccination programme, where considerable progress is being made over the break. Updated at 02.25 EST6 Jan 2021 01.57 EST Daniel Hurst Australias foreign minister, Marise Payne, has issued a statement raising concern about the crackdown on pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong. The Australian government is concerned by reports that more than 50 pro-democracy lawmakers and other pro-democracy figures have been arrested in Hong Kong overnight under the national security law, she said. In the brief statement, Payne said Australias consulate general in Hong Kong was monitoring these developments closely. Australia has consistently expressed concern that the national security law is eroding Hong Kongs autonomy, democratic principles and rule of law.For more on this issue, see the story filed by my colleague Helen Davidson: Dozens of Hong Kong pro-democracy figures arrested in sweeping crackdown Read moreUpdated at 01.59 EST6 Jan 2021 01.53 EST The Victorian Department of Health and Human Services says people can now apply for an exemption to return home from NSW online, via Services Victoria. Border entry permit update: you can now apply for an exemption online via Services Victoria. You can apply for an exemption if you have a valid reason. Find out everything you need to know here: https://t.co/fQMD0iJyyS pic.twitter.com/JWTkG2Pqjs VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) January 6, 2021Updated at 02.00 EST6 Jan 2021 01.50 EST NSW Health has issued new Covid-19 advice for venues in the western Sydney suburb of Wentworthville, and updated advice for people who attended May Hill temple and the Merrylands RSL. The Wentworthville advice relates to people who visited a Dominos Pizza or a (geez not again) BWS during certain times on the night of 27 December. They are considered a casual contact of a confirmed case and should get tested. Acting NSW premier John Barilaro leaving a press conference in Sydney this morning. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts/AAP It is interesting that this gold standard (or diamond standard, depending on who you ask) contact tracing system is getting this information out 10 days after the case visited these venues. The acting NSW premier, John Barilaro, was again particularly bullish about the departments contact tracing abilities earlier today. Updated at 02.01 EST6 Jan 2021 01.37 EST WA fire chief warns of dangerous conditions The Western Australian fire and emergency services commissioner, Darren Klemm, has been giving an update on the bushfire situation in the state. There have been fires burning near Red Gully, about 130km north of Perth. On the weekend, there were fires south of Perth, and weather conditions are expected to remain dangerous until Sunday. A bushfire-damaged bus stop in Kwinana, south of Perth, on Monday. Photograph: Richard Wainwright/AAP Klemm says he has not seen similar conditions for at least the past three years: In my read of it, I would say the last bushfire seasons for the last three years at least, there hasnt been that typical strong easterly weather weve been experiencing in the past four days and gusts up to 80km/h across this fireground, it makes it incredibly difficult for firefighters. Not only is it not safe to put firefighters at the head of the fire in those types of circumstances, but also its incredibly difficult once the fire hops over to be able to get around it and put it out. So those have been the challenges in particular the last two afternoons. Klemm said the fire had spread to around 9,500 hectares with a perimeter of 102km, and that its cause was still being investigated. Updated at 02.03 EST6 Jan 2021 01.27 EST Covidsafe app not useful in Victoria's latest outbreak Josh Taylor The Covidsafe app has not proved useful in tracking down cases associated with the Black Rock cluster, or the new mystery case associated with the MCG and Chadstone shopping centre in Victoria. Despite the federal government spending over $5m on the app, and claiming more than 7.22m Australians have downloaded and installed it, the Covidsafe contact tracing app has not identified any additional contacts in the Black Rock Thai restaurant cluster or the new mystery case who visited Chadstone shopping centre on Boxing Day and attended the second day of the Boxing Day Test. The Department of Health and Human Services confirmed since the start of the pandemic Victoria has not been able to identify any close contacts through the app not already found through manual contact tracing methods, but it remains part of the contact tracing process. Our public health team always asks cases and their close contacts if they have installed the Covidsafe app to their phone, a spokeswoman said. More than 1,300 primary and secondary contacts have been identified through manual contact tracing methods. The state governments head of contact tracing Jereon Weimar said on Wednesday that Victoria had not had to draw on a Covidsafe app to date. As to the business case for the Covidsafe app, Ill leave that to others, my job is to run after the coronavirus here in Victoria. An update to the app pushed to users late last year now alerts them to open the app to keep it running in the background in order to work. The federal government has refused a number of freedom of information requests that would show how many of the more than seven million people who downloaded the app are still using it. Updated at 01.44 EST6 Jan 2021 01.18 EST Weve now got more detail on the shooting death of a prisoner in Wollongong earlier. Sources have told Guardian Australia that the inmate managed to grab a guards firearm during a medical transfer in the city south of Sydney. The prisoner subsequently shot himself and died as a result of the injuries. Corrective Services NSW said in a statement it was investigating the circumstances surrounding the inmates death. The 37-year-old man suffered serious self-inflicted injuries during an escort to a medical facility at approximately midday today and died a short time later, a spokeswoman said. All deaths in custody are subject to a coronial inquest. Witnesses told the ABC the man wearing prison greens fired at several cars in the street before turning the corrections officers weapon on himself. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.orgUpdated at 01.26 EST6 Jan 2021 01.12 EST WA paramedic in hotel isolation after exposure to patient from UK The Western Australian health department and St John Ambulance are set to provide more details later today about a paramedic who had to go into hotel isolation after he transferred a Covid-positive patient to hospital. The paramedic transported the patient, an elderly woman from the UK, to hospital yesterday. She had arrived in Australia on 2 January, was symptomatic on arrival, and later tested positive. West Australian premier Mark McGowan. Photograph: Paul Kane/Getty Images The WA premier, Mark McGowan, revealed yesterday that three cases of the new UK-strain of Covid-19, which has been found to be considerably more infectious, had been detected in hotel quarantine. Here is a report on the paramedic case filed earlier by AAP: A paramedic has gone into hotel isolation after transporting a Covid-19 patient from the UK to hospital in Perth while checks are made into whether proper health protocols were followed. The patient, a woman in her 80s, arrived from the UK on 2 January and was symptomatic on arrival and subsequently tested positive. Genomic testing is under way but it is not yet known if she has the more virulent strain of the virus. The woman was initially placed in hotel quarantine, but her condition required her to be transferred to the Royal Perth hospital on Tuesday where she is now considered stable. Premier Mark McGowan said investigations were under way to determine if one of the paramedics involved in the womans transfer was wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment at the time. Were investigating that as we speak. There have been concerns raised, the premier told reporters on Wednesday. Updated at 01.24 EST6 Jan 2021 01.03 EST Daniel Hurst The Australian government has called on China to allow the entry of World Health Organization experts investigating how the Covid-19 pandemic started, saying visas should be granted without delay. Australias foreign minister, Marise Payne, issued a cautious statement after months of rocky relations between the two countries. It follows news today that Chinese authorities have blocked the arrival of a WHO team investigating the early cases of Covid-19 in Wuhan. China argued the teams visas had not yet been approved, even as some members of the group were on their way. This is Paynes statement in full: Australia has consistently sought transparency in relation to the origins of, and responses to the coronavirus, as have other countries. The WHO-convened scientific study is an important part of this work and we look forward to the findings from the international field mission to China. We hope that the necessary permissions for the WHO teams travel to China can be issued without delay. During this global pandemic that has affected all countries, international cooperation and partnerships will maximise our ability to respond, and to equip us for the next pandemic. The full story is here: Australia says China should allow in WHO Covid investigators 'without delay' Read more Foreign affairs minister Marise Payne speaking in Canberra last month. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPUpdated at 01.12 EST6 Jan 2021 00.55 EST Queensland Health is urging all Queenslanders who visited regional NSW sites linked to the Berala cluster to get tested. A man who did not know he was positive with Covid-19 visited Orange, Nyngan and Broken Hill last week. This just in from Queensland Health: Queenslanders who visited the regional New South Wales towns of Orange, Nyngan and Broken Hill between 2-3 January are being asked to get tested for Covid-19. The alert comes after a positive Covid-19 case from NSW transited through the towns while infectious. Queensland chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said she is treating this newest threat with an abundance of caution. We know a person who was positive for Covid-19 has been out and about in these communities very recently, Young said. There is every chance this individual has been in contact with holidaying or visiting Queenslanders who were also in these towns during this period. Everyone who has been in Orange, Nyngan and Broken Hill between 2-3 January should get tested tomorrow or earlier if possible, and quarantine at home until they receive a negative test result. If we do have any cases connected to this individual, it is absolutely critical we detect them before we see widespread community transmission. Additionally, I am concerned about the potential spread across regional NSW. Queenslanders who spent time in regional NSW over the holiday period should remain vigilant of their health and get tested if they show any Covid-19 symptoms. Dr Young also reminded the general community to keep getting tested. Queenslanders have already performed incredibly well weve have performed tens of thousands of tests in the past few days alone. But that doesnt mean we can be complacent it takes just one undetected case to bring all our progress to an end.Updated at 00.59 EST6 Jan 2021 00.25 EST It turns out you also cant go to the A-League (as well as the cricket) if youre from some of the identified NSW hot-spots. This was posted earlier this afternoon by the management of the Newcastle stadium, where the Newcastle Jets will face the Western Sydney Wanderers in an A-League round two match on Friday: McDonald Jones Stadium has established rigorous COVID Safety Plans since May 2020 and they have been enhanced for the Newcastle Jets v Western Sydney Wanderers game this Friday, which will be hosted at a maximum 50% capacity. Everyone who attends is strongly encouraged to wear a mask. We review and adjust our protocols and protections in preparation for each event, in consultation with NSW Health and other stakeholders. All patrons from the identified hot spots, including the Northern Zone of the Northern Beaches and selected postcodes in Western Sydney, will not be permitted to attend. Those who have purchased tickets will be refunded. To stay up to date with the latest health advice, visit the NSW Health website here. Event plans may change subject to further advice from the NSW Government. Updated event information will be made available on McDonald Jones Stadiums website and socials. The Wanderers and the Jets during a match in Parramatta last season Photograph: Jason McCawley/Getty Images The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, has received the Pfizer vaccine, as he joined a small first group to be vaccinated against Covid-19 on Sunday a step the government says is intended to build public confidence in the safety of the vaccines. Morrison the 12th member of the group to receive the vaccine at a televised event in Sydney described it as a curtain raiser for the formal start of the vaccine rollout on Monday. He said the initial jabs were designed to show that its safe, that its important, and we need to start with those who are most vulnerable and on the front line. Jane Malysiak, 85, became the first person in Australia to receive a Covid-19 vaccine when she had the jab at 11.09am AEDT in Castle Hill in Sydney. Malysiak, born in Poland, was taken to Germany when she was three years old, and moved to Australia with her mother when aged 13. Morrison, wearing an Australian flag mask, sat next to Malysiak as she received the jab. Yes Im happy to receive it, she said. Morrison then encouraged her to do a V for vaccine hand gesture. Malysiak was followed by another aged resident, a disability support resident, several nurses and other frontline workers. Prof Alison McMillan, the chief nursing and midwifery officer, and Prof Paul Kelly, the chief medical officer, were the 10th and 11th people to receive the vaccine. Then it was Morrisons turn at 11.26am. The person administering the jab asked Morrison if he had any questions or issues and he replied: No, Im ready to go, just like the country.After receiving the jab in his left arm, Morrison did the peace sign and then a thumbs-up. Thank you very much, he said. The health minister, Greg Hunt, had earlier confirmed Morrison would be receiving the jab on Sunday. Today is the day where the first vaccines will be administered in Australia, Hunt told the ABCs Insiders program on Sunday. The opposition leader, Anthony Albanese, is not in the Sunday group but he is set to receive a jab later this week. Asked about potential criticism that Morrison had jumped the queue, Hunt said there had been a very strong focus on the need for key leaders, not the parliament, not the cabinet, not even the leadership group, but a cross-party group, to provide that confidence in vaccines. He said that had been an approach taken in many places around the world. Hunt said Albanese and two others from the opposition had been invited to participate over the coming days. He said he had also invited the Greens to participate. Hunt is not part of the Sunday group but said he and the health department secretary, Prof Brendan Murphy, would get the AstraZeneca jab. So this is a cross-parliamentary view where parliamentarians dont have any special status, Hunt said. The research shows that people want to see that if we [politicians] believe its safe, then that will give them greater confidence.Hunt said contrary to claims Australia had been too slow to begin the vaccine rollout, many people are worried has this been too quick and we have to show that it has been full, thorough assessment and that we believe in the safety ourselves. The comments come after government research released last week indicated just 64% of Australians would definitely get a Covid-19 vaccine while more than one quarter (27%) were unsure. Some 9% of Australians aged over 16 said they will definitely not get the vaccine, according to the poll of 4,001 people commissioned by the health department. The research was released by the government on Tuesday after the arrival of Pfizer vaccines and approval of AstraZeneca. Multiple people were arrested at a Melbourne anti-vaxxer rally on Saturday amid clashes with the police, while protesters also marched through the Sydney CBD and large groups gathered in Brisbane and Adelaide. Victorias chief health officer, Brett Sutton, said fervent anti-vaxxers were a small minority. Taking a similar line to Sutton, Hunt said there was a small group of anti-vaxxers which might be 4-5%. Whilst we reject and condemn some of the absolute myths that they perpetrate, our focus is on those people who are hesitant, Hunt said.

###CLAIM: in this case, islam recognized that network carriers could roll out some of the 16 new capabilities at a time, with the x62 and x65 offering the possibility to upgrade software to add new features as time goes on. ###DOCS: The Qualcomm X65 is the company's fourth generation 5G modem and incorporates support for an RF ... [+] front end set of companion chips. QualcommThough they never get much attention and, frankly, arent very well understood, modems offer a critically important view into the future of wide-area wireless technologies. At a basic level, modems are the chips inside our devices that control the process of sending signals to and receiving signals from cellular networks. More importantly, however, their features provide a roadmap that enables people to understand the essential capabilities of a wireless standard like 5G at any given point in time. The bottom line is that new abilities added to next-generation modems open up new capabilities that broadband cellular networks can achieve. Conversely, even if a network offers the potential for newer features, faster speeds, etc., an individual device wont be able to take advantage of them unless it has a modem that supports those functions. Thats why the recent debut of new 5G modems from US market share leader Qualcomm (the Snapdragon X65 and X62) and worldwide market share leader MediaTek (the M80)both of which normally would have been unveiled at the now delayed Mobile World Congress (MWC) trade showis so important. Both individually and collectively, they provide a map that lets us see and understand where the real 5G market is going. The emphasis is on the future of 5G, because in both cases, the chips wont be available until the end of this year and likely wont show up in devices until late 2021 or early 2022. Despite those delays, the news is good on both frontsin some cases for similar reasons, but in other instances because of unique, company-specific features. On the shared update front, all three of the new modems from the two companies are the first to support 3GPP Release 16, the latest official version of the 5G spec (see The Evolution of 5G for more on 3GPP and how 5G is constantly evolving.) Release 16 incorporates a great deal of new capabilitiessome have referred to it as the completion of the core 5G spec. Specific improvements include things like multi-user MIMO (multiple input, multiple output), which allows for the simultaneous transmission and reception of multiple signals, as well as industrial IoT, the use of unlicensed 6 GHz frequencies, and time-sensitive networking (TSN), which is often used in industrial applications. Release 16 also includes several enhancements on power savings and more efficient use of the modem and both companies are offering their own variations on power-saving features in all their respective products. In Qualcomms case, the company recognized the fact that some of these new Release 16 capabilities may be rolled out over time by network carriers, so the X62 and X65 are the first to offer software-upgradability to add new features as time goes on. On the MediaTek side, the companys newly unveiled M80 is the first from the Taiwan-based company to support millimeter Wave (mmWave) technology. MediaTek had been a leader on some other critical technologies, including the ability to combine or aggregate multiple chunks of different frequencies in the low-band or sub-6 portion of the radio spectrum used for 5G, but was behind on mmWave support (for more on carrier aggregation and other key 5G technologies, see How Fast Will 5G Really Be?). A big part of the reason for the companys delayed introduction of this technology is that a large portion of its customers are Asia-based or in other parts of the world, such as Latin America or Eastern Europe, where there has been little deployment of mmWave 5G in their regional networks. Slowly, but surely, however, countries like China, Japan, Australia and others are starting to deploy mmWave, so it has become clear that MediaTek needed some mmWave-capable options. Another part of the delay is because mmWave is a very challenging technology to implementparticularly in conjunction with a complimentary set of chips, called an RF front end (RFFE), that work with modems to do the physical signaling of analog waveforms along with the technical steps necessary to process these signals and make them usable. In Qualcomms case, the company has moved from providing modems on its own to offering combined modem-RF solutions that are designed and optimized to work together. MediaTek, on the other hand, does not offer RFFEs, but instead works with partners like Qorvo, Skyworks and Broadcom, who provide separate RF solutions that vendors have to combine with MediaTek modems to create complete solutions. In addition to mmWave support, MediaTeks M80 modem builds on some key technologies in areas like carrier aggregation by incorporating the ability to aggregate both sub-6 and mmWave signals. (Qualcomms X62 and X65, as well as their previous generation X60which is currently shippingsupport this multi-band carrier aggregation as well.) Not only does this allow for the ability to combine as much precious radio spectrum as possible, it also enables things like the ability to do control signaling over sub-6 and data signals over mmWave, as well as other clever uses of technology that improve both the speed and capacity of 5G networks. (See How Will 5G Networks Get Faster? Densification for more.) One of the biggest stories for Qualcomms top-of-the-line X65 is the fact that the company claims its the first 5G modem to have a top theoretical download speed of 10 Gbps. As a point of reference, the M80 has a peak downlink speed of 7.67 Gbps and Qualcomms X62 tops out at 4.4 Gbpsand dont forget that many companies still use wired Ethernet connections that only run at that same 10 Gbps speed. In reality, no wireless device ever gets close to these theoretical numbers, but the fact that each of these companies are raising the bar on peak performance means average real-world speeds will start increasing as welland showcases how close wireless speeds have come to wired ones. Ultimately, the good news is that these latest modems highlight the fact that the wireless industry has quickly ramped up the technical underpinnings and fulfilled the key technical requirements necessary to make 5G a mature, established technology. Will things continue to improve, with new capabilities getting turned on for 5G networks? Of course they will. However, the impact of later changes is likely to be less noticeable to most consumers and mainstream businesses, because many of the changes beyond Release 16 are focused on more specialized applications. With these new modems, and the devices that they are expected to power, as the critical enablers, were headed into a new era of 5G that should be significantly more capable. Disclosure: TECHnalysis Research is a tech industry market research and consulting firm and, like all companies in that field, works with many technology vendors as clients, some of whom may be listed in this article.

###CLAIM: they are sticking to the unfair oath of office taken from an impeachment juror that requires them to remain faithful to the oath they took to defend the constitution against undermining and destruction. ###DOCS: Democrats and Republicans on Jan. 17 recalled personal experiences of the Capitol riots and discussed then-President Donald Trump's looming impeachment trial. (Video: Zach Purser Brown/The Washington Post)Comment on this story Comment Gift Article ShareAs Donald Trumps impeachment trial gets underway, the choice GOP senators face is being wildly mischaracterized. We keep hearing that they must choose between sticking with the former president or opposing him between showing loyalty to Trump or not showing loyalty to him. Sign up for a weekly roundup of thought-provoking ideas and debates ArrowRight In one typical framing, the Associated Press reports that the Senate trial will test the loyalty of Trumps Republican allies. A CNN analysis declares GOP senators must now decide whether to pay a price for deserting an ex-president who still dominates his party.Either GOP senators are loyal to Trump, or they desert him and face the consequences: The choice is entirely framed as revolving around Trump. But that isnt the choice GOP senators actually face, and describing this choice accurately is of paramount importance. AdvertisementThe real choice they face is not between sticking with Trump or going against him. Rather, its between sticking with Trump or remaining faithful to their oath of office, which requires them to defend the Constitution against those who would undermine or destroy it, and to the oath of impartiality they take as impeachment jurors. Follow Greg Sargent 's opinions FollowTrump tried to overthrow U.S. democracy to keep himself in power illegitimately, first through corrupt legal efforts, then through nakedly extralegal means, and then by inciting intimidation and violence to disrupt the constitutionally designated process for securing the peaceful conclusion of free and fair elections. Trump fully intended to subvert the constitutional process designating how our elections unfold, and intended this every step of the way. GOP senators cannot remain loyal to Trump without breaking their oaths to execute their public positions faithfully. AdvertisementThe weakness of Trumps own defense will reveal the true contours of this choice and demonstrate how his defenders, both on his legal team and in the GOP Senate caucus, will try to bury the inescapable nature of this choice under mounds of obfuscation. Trumps laughably weak defenseTrumps lawyers will first argue that the Senate lacks jurisdiction to try Trump, on the grounds that he no longer holds office. This idea has been roundly debunked by lawyers across the political spectrum, including Chuck Cooper, a conservative legal icon. As Cooper argued, the Constitution provides for a Senate vote not just on removal for high crimes and misdemeanors, but also for disqualification from ever holding office again, which by definition must also apply to those who are no longer in office but might run again later. AdvertisementBut the larger thrust of this defense is pernicious in another way. GOP senators hope to take refuge in the idea that former presidents are exempt to give themselves a rhetorical and political means of dodging a direct vote on whether what Trump actually did constitutes high crimes and misdemeanors. This has been widely depicted as mere tactical maneuvering. But its much worse than that: Its an active evasion of their own duty as public officials to defend the Constitution. This defense, then, actually unmasks their dereliction of this duty. Trump incited violent insurrectionTrumps lawyers will also argue he is not guilty of incitement of insurrection. They will say he didnt direct anyone to carry out the attack, as he used the word peacefully while haranguing the mob on Jan. 6. And they will say that because the riots were preplanned by a small group of criminals, then Trump cannot have incited them. AdvertisementAll this is pure baloney. Trump spent months urging his supporters to mobilize for war over the election results, which he said could not be legitimate if he lost, meaning a struggle to overturn them would inevitably be a righteous cause in their own defense. If some preplanned the attack, they did so at what they understood correctly as his direction, as their own language has confirmed. Whats more, if some preplanned the attack well in advance, many did not, and people in this latter group also attacked the Capitol. They, too, were incited by Trumps haranguing leading up to and on Jan. 6. And if Trump intended them to be peaceful, its strange that he again whipped up rage at then-Vice President Mike Pence while the mob rampaged into the Capitol looking for Pence and lawmakers who were counting electoral votes. Its also odd that as the rampage worsened, he refused entreaties to call for the very calm his lawyers claim he wanted to see. AdvertisementAcquitting Trump means declaring that these known facts do not point to high crimes and misdemeanors. Senators have a dutySenators take an oath of office to support and defend the Constitution. When serving as impeachment jurors, they take another oath to do impartial justice according to the Constitution.Corey Brettschneider, a constitutional scholar who focuses on the role of oaths of office in the constitutional scheme, says these two oaths complement one another. That second oath doesnt replace the first, Brettschneider tells me. It clarifies it.In acting as jurors, Brettschneider says, senators are supposed to answer the specific question of whether the president is guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors.Trump tried to subvert a free and fair election by spreading disinformation, trying to force public officials to overturn the results and riling his supporters up to attack the Capitol, Brettschneider continued. That is about as paradigmatic a high crime as one can get.AdvertisementWhen senators are in the role of jurors, Brettschneider continues, the two oaths interlock to set the terms of their constitutional duty, which precludes operating out of partisan loyalty to a president.In other words, its either the former or the latter. The choice is not just about whether they are going to be loyal to Trump or not. That idea actually undersells the extraordinary dereliction of duty GOP senators will be committing if and when they vote to acquit. Read more:GiftOutline Gift Article

###CLAIM: mcconnell singularly focused on the confirmation of scores of inexperienced young federal judges, many of whom benefited from a last-minute cap on the installation of justices amy coney and barrett. ###DOCS: President-elect Joe Biden campaigned in Atlanta on Dec. 15 on behalf of Democratic Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock. (Video: The Washington Post)Comment on this story Comment Gift Article ShareIn public, President-elect Joe Biden is spending most of his time announcing Cabinet appointments, meeting with health experts and giving speeches on unity. Behind the scenes, though, hes grappling with a grittier challenge that could be critical to his presidency dealing with an unruly Senate. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Bidens strategy, displayed in private conversations and some public actions, features two goals, both exceedingly difficult: winning the two Senate runoffs in Georgia to seize a razor-thin Democratic majority, while forging alliances with key Republican senators. Both goals are increasingly evident, as Biden held his first phone call as president-elect this week with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and a short time later boarded a plane for Georgia to campaign for the two candidates whose victory would unseat McConnell as majority leader. AdvertisementBidens recent agenda has been driven, to a degree not always obvious, by his desire to take control of the Senate. Last week, he privately urged civil rights leaders to delay pushing for criminal justice reform by a few weeks so their rhetoric would not be used by Georgia Republicans to target Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff. We need those two seats, Biden said, according to a tape of the call obtained by the Intercept. In a meeting on Monday, Biden insisted to supporters that he could work with Republicans, despite the continued refusal of some GOP senators even to acknowledge his victory. I may eat these words, but I predict to you: As Donald Trumps shadow fades away, youre going to see an awful lot change, Biden said on a call with grass-roots supporters. Many Democrats are skeptical, saying Senate Republicans determination to torpedo Democratic initiatives long predated Trumps presidency. McConnell, for example, refused to even consider President Barack Obamas final Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland. AdvertisementBut Bidens agenda, from nominations to spending bills, will depend in no small measure on whether he can manage the Senate. As a 36-year veteran of the chamber, he is invested in the belief that he can succeed where Obama often failed. There are a lot of things that would make a huge difference if they can come together in the Senate and make progress, said Anita Dunn, an adviser to Bidens transition team. His belief is that he is going to be able to work with people on both sides to come together around issues where theres general agreement and make progress that is going to benefit people in this country.Biden has acknowledged that might require significant effort as well as time. He mused on Monday that it could take six to eight months before his new working relationship with the GOP was established, while also saying that he had already heard from seven mostly senior Republican senators. AdvertisementYoure going to be surprised, Biden promised. Were going to have a lot of people wanting to work with us.Scott Jennings, a longtime political aide to McConnell, said that both Biden and McConnell believe in the institution of the Senate a notion many Democrats scoff at and predicted they will find areas in which to work together. Nobodys going to get everything they want, Jennings added. He offered some praise for Biden, suggesting he might have success where Obama did not. The former president served only four years in the Senate before rocketing to the presidency, and many Republicans complained that he was aloof and disdainful. The key difference is [Biden] is not totally inept when it comes to legislative affairs, Jennings said, adding that Biden shouldnt expect McConnell and the Senate Republicans to roll over on things.AdvertisementOne likely area of conflict is judicial appointments. McConnell has been singularly focused on confirming scores of conservative federal judges, many of them relatively young and inexperienced, capped by the last-minute installation of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett. It is not clear how he will react to Bidens nominations. The political environment confronting Biden is also in some ways markedly rougher than that faced by Obama, who came into office with sizable majorities in the House and the Senate, and with an opponent who conceded quickly and graciously. In Bidens case, just 12 of 52 Republican senators acknowledged his victory, according to a Washington Post survey of GOP members of Congress conducted before Monday, when the electoral college affirmed his win and more Republicans began to accept it. AdvertisementBiden told supporters Monday that he believed he could find common ground on areas such as an infrastructure program and relations with China, particularly with the senators he has spoken to in recent weeks. That list includes Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), one of Trumps closest allies in the Senate, The Post has learned. Others include Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.) and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who was the GOPs 2012 presidential standard-bearer. Romneys office issued a statement Tuesday confirming that he had congratulated Biden on his win and expressed admiration for his willingness to endure the rigors of a presidential campaign and serve in the nations highest office. The two discussed the countrys deep political divides, the pandemic, the economy and China, the statement said. AdvertisementAfter speaking with McConnell on Tuesday, Biden said he hoped for a sit-down soon with the majority leader. We agreed wed get together sooner than later, Biden said. Im looking forward to working with him.But if winning over Senate Republicans would require a departure from recent history, so would two Democratic Senate victories in Georgia. A Democrat has not won a Senate seat in the state in two decades. Biden was the first Democratic presidential candidate to capture Georgia since Bill Clinton in 1992. Even if both Warnock and Ossoff prevail, it would result in a Senate that is split 50 to 50; Democrats would control the chamber only because Vice President-elect Kamala D. Harris would break ties. And most legislation requires 60 votes in the Senate. When he visited Georgia this week, Bidens bipartisan tone was far less evident as he took on Republican Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. AdvertisementI need two senators from the state who want to get something done, not two senators who are just going to get in the way, he said at a car rally in Atlanta on Tuesday afternoon. We can get so much done . . . and we need senators who are willing to do it, for Gods sake.And even some on Bidens staff tend to take a more partisan tone. In an interview with Glamour published Tuesday, Biden campaign manager Jennifer OMalley Dillon, soon to be his deputy White House chief of staff, referred to Republicans with an expletive and said, Mitch McConnell is terrible.Along with the Democratic National Committee, the Biden operation has spent about $5 million on the Georgia runoffs, according to a Biden campaign official, and is paying for about 50 staff members to continue working in the state. In addition, the campaign has shifted about a dozen staffers who focus on data analytics, and Biden has been raising money directly for Ossoff and Warnock. AdvertisementBehind the scenes, Biden has also made it clear what he believes Democrats should be talking about, and what they should avoid, before the Jan. 5 vote. In his video call with the leaders of seven civil rights organizations, he argued explicitly that criminal justice reform, an issue of great importance to the groups, was better tabled until after the Georgia vote. How much do we push between now and January 5th? Biden said. We need those two seats.He reiterated this several times. I also dont think we should get too far ahead of ourselves on dealing with police reform, because theyve already labeled us as being defund the police, Biden told the civil rights leaders. He added, Thats how they beat the living hell out of us across the country saying that were talking about defunding the police.Biden won Georgia by about 12,000 votes, a very narrow margin that relied on several different voting blocs breaking his way, including a strong turnout from African Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans, along with roughly 30 percent of the White vote. He was just the right guy, because he was a moderate and people knew him and they thought he was bipartisan, Biden pollster John Anzalone said. They didnt think he was a radical-left guy.The moderation has been a hallmark of Bidens transition. He selected Tom Vilsack to be his agriculture secretary, for example, despite pleas from civil rights leaders who wanted him to name a Black woman and feared Vilsack would lead to a backlash in Georgia. The Peach State happens to be the home state of Shirley Sherrod, a former official at the Agriculture Department whom Vilsack fired during his previous stint in the job. She was dismissed after a conservative news organization broadcast misleading snippets of a speech that made it appear she was biased against White farmers. When a full recording emerged and it was clear Sherrod had been misrepresented, Vilsack apologized, and he also reached out to her recently. I told him, Its been 10 years ago, that I accept your apology, she told MSNBCs Joy Reid. But Sherrod offered some conditions for her grace, saying she would like to see the department make a concerted effort to help groups such as Black farmers who have been disadvantaged, and at times lost their land, because theyve been unfairly denied loans. I meant that, and I was ready to move on, Sherrod said. I need to see that they are ready to move on with us.Seung-Min Kim and Matt Viser contributed to this report. GiftOutline Gift Article

###CLAIM: rational minds respond that anything worth worrying about goes on in laboratories. ###DOCS: In early 2017, a French labor law went into effect that attempted to preserve the so-called right to disconnect. Companies with fifty or more employees were required to negotiate specific policies about the use of e-mail after work hours, with the goal of reducing the time that workers spent in their in-boxes during the evening or over the weekend. Myriam El Khomri, the minister of labor at the time, justified the new law, in part, as a necessary step to reduce burnout. The law is unwieldy, but it points toward a universal problem, one thats become harder to avoid during the recent shift toward a more frenetic and improvisational approach to work: e-mail is making us miserable. To study the effects of e-mail, a team led by researchers from the University of California, Irvine, hooked up forty office workers to wireless heart-rate monitors for around twelve days. They recorded the subjects heart-rate variability, a common technique for measuring mental stress. They also monitored the employees computer use, which allowed them to correlate e-mail checks with stress levels. What they found would not surprise the French. The longer one spends on email in [a given] hour the higher is ones stress for that hour, the authors noted. In another study, researchers placed thermal cameras below each subjects computer monitor, allowing them to measure the tell-tale heat blooms on a persons face that indicate psychological distress. They discovered that batching in-box checksa commonly suggested solution to improving ones experience with e-mailis not necessarily a panacea. For those people who scored highly in the trait of neuroticism, batching e-mails actually made them more stressed, perhaps because of worry about all of the urgent messages they were ignoring. The researchers also found that people answered e-mails more quickly when under stress but with less carea text-analysis program called Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count revealed that these anxious e-mails were more likely to contain words that expressed anger. While email use certainly saves people time effort in communicating, it also comes at a cost, the authors of the two studies concluded. Their recommendation? To suggest that organizations make a concerted effort to cut down on email traffic.Other researchers have found similar connections between e-mail and unhappiness. A study, published in 2019, looked at long-term trends in the health of a group of nearly five thousand Swedish workers. They found that repeated exposure to high information and communication technology demands (translation: a need to be constantly connected) were associated with suboptimal health outcomes. This trend persisted even after they adjusted the statistics for potential complicating factors such as age, sex, socioeconomic status, health behavior, body-mass index, job strain, and social support. Of course, we dont really need data to capture something that so many of us feel intuitively. I recently surveyed the readers of my blog about e-mail. Its slow and very frustrating. . . . I often feel like email is impersonal and a waste of time, one respondent said. Im frazzledjust keeping up, another admitted. Some went further. I feel an almost uncontrollable need to stop what Im doing to check email, one person reported. It makes me very depressed, anxious and frustrated.When employees are miserable, they perform worse. Theyre also more likely, as the French labor minister warned, to burn out, leading to increased health-care costs and expensive employee turnover. A Harvard Business School professor found that giving a group of management consultants predictable time off from e-mail increased the percentage of them who planned to stay at the firm for the long term from forty per cent to fifty-eight per cent. E-mails power to makes us unhappy also has more philosophical implications. There are two hundred and thirty million knowledge workers in the world, which includes, according to the Federal Reserve, more than a third of the U.S. workforce. If this massive population is being made miserable by a slavish devotion to in-boxes and chat channels, then this adds up to a whole lot of global miserableness! From a utilitarian perspective, this level of suffering cannot be ignoredespecially if there is something that we might be able to do to alleviate it. Given these stakes, its all the more surprising that we spend so little time trying to understand the source of this discontent. Many in the business community tend to dismiss the psychological toll from e-mail as an incidental side effect caused by bad in-box habits or a weak constitution. Ive come to believe, however, that much deeper forces are at play in generating our mismatch with this tool, including some that get at the very core of what drives us as humans. The need to interact with each other is one of the strongest motivational forces that humans experience. As the psychologist Matthew Lieberman explains in his book Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect, the social networks encoded in our neurons are linked to our pain systems, creating the intense feelings of heartbreak that we feel when someone close to us dies, or the total desolation that we might experience when we are isolated from other people for too long. These social adaptations are central to making us the most successful species on earth, Lieberman writes. The flip side of an evolutionary obsession with social interaction is a corresponding feeling of distress when its thwarted. Much in the same way that our attraction to food is coupled with the gnawing sensation of hunger in its absence, our instinct to connect is accompanied by an anxious unease when we neglect these interactions. This matters in the office, because an unfortunate side effect of overwhelming e-mail communication is that it constantly exposes you to exactly this form of social distress. A frenetic approach to professional collaboration generates messages faster than you can keep upyou finish one response only to find that three more have arrived in the interim, and, while you are at home at night, or over the weekend, or when you are on vacation, you cannot escape the awareness that the missives in your in-box are piling up ever thicker in your absence. When you skip a meal, telling your rumbling stomach that food is coming later in the day, and therefore that it has no reason to fear starvation, doesnt alleviate the powerful sensation of hunger. Similarly, explaining to your brain that the neglected interactions reflected by your overfilled in-box have little to do with the health of your relationships doesnt seem to prevent a corresponding sense of background anxiety. We can actually measure this triumph of ancient social drives over the rational modern brain in the laboratory. In one particularly devious study, researchers figured out how to discreetly assess our psychological response to thwarted digital connection. Subjects were brought into a room to work on word puzzles. They were told that, as part of the experiment, the researcher also wanted to test out a wireless blood-pressure monitor. The subject is left to work on the puzzles, and, after a few minutes, the researcher returns to the room and explains that the subjects smartphone is creating interference with the wireless signal, so they need to move the phone to a table four feet awaystill within earshot, but out of reach. After a few more minutes of working on a puzzle, the researcher covertly calls the subjects phone. At this point, the subject is trying to solve the word puzzle while hearing his or her phone ringing from across the room, but is prevented from getting it because of a previous warning from the researcher that it is important not to get up for any reason.During this entire charade, the wireless monitor is tracking the subjects physiological state by measuring blood pressure and heart rate, allowing the researchers to closely monitor the effect of the phone separation. The results are predictable. During the periods when the phone is ringing across the room, indicators of stress and anxiety in the subject jumped higher. Similarly, self-reported stress rose and self-reported pleasantness fell. Performance on the word-search puzzle decreased during the period of unanswered ringing. Rationally speaking, the subjects in this experiment knew that missing a call was not a crisis, as people miss calls all the time, and they were clearly engaged in something more important in the moment. Indeed, in many cases, the subjects phone had already been set to silence mode, which the researchers surreptitiously turned off as they moved the phone across the room. This means that the subjects had already planned on missing any calls or messages that arrived during the experiment. But this rational understanding was no match for the underlying evolutionary pressures that have ingrained the idea that ignoring a potential connection is a really bad idea. The subjects were bathed in anxiety while their rational minds, if they had been asked, would have likely responded that there was nothing going on in the laboratory worth worrying about. The missed connections in an ever-filling e-mail in-box sound these same Paleolithic alarm bellsregardless of our best attempts to convince ourselves that this unanswered communication isnt critical. This effect is so strong that when Arianna Huffingtons company, Thrive Global, explored how to free its employees from this anxiety while they were on vacation (when the knowledge of accumulating messages becomes particularly acute), it ended up experimenting with an extreme solution, called Thrive Away. If a Thrive employee sends an e-mail to a colleague who is on vacation, the sender receives a note that the colleague is away and the message is automatically deleted. In theory, a simple vacation auto-responder should be sufficientas it tells people sending a message not to expect a reply until the recipient returnsbut logic is subservient in this situation. No matter what the expectations, the awareness that there are messages waiting somewhere triggers anxiety, ruining the potential relaxation of a persons time off. The only cure is to prevent the messages from arriving altogether. Huffington said, The key is not just that the tool is creating a wall between you and your email; its that it frees you from the mounting anxiety of having a mounting pile of emails waiting for you on your returnthe stress of which mitigates the benefits of disconnecting in the first place.

###CLAIM: muktadir said : `` we fully appreciate the extraordinary scientific achievement involved in the creation of a vaccine this year and want to share the world 's might and willing to pay a fair price. '' ###DOCS: A member of production checks cell growth and viability of a bioreactor sample under an inverted microscope inside the Incepta plant on the outskirts of Dhaka in Bangladesh Saturday Feb. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Al-emrun Garjon)A member of production checks cell growth and viability of a bioreactor sample under an inverted microscope inside the Incepta plant on the outskirts of Dhaka in Bangladesh Saturday Feb. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Al-emrun Garjon)PARIS (AP) In an industrial neighborhood on the outskirts of Bangladeshs largest city lies a factory with gleaming new equipment imported from Germany, its immaculate hallways lined with hermetically sealed rooms. It is operating at just a quarter of its capacity. It is one of three factories that The Associated Press found on three continents whose owners say they could start producing hundreds of millions of COVID-19 vaccines on short notice if only they had the blueprints and technical know-how. But that knowledge belongs to the large pharmaceutical companies who have produced the first three vaccines authorized by countries including Britain, the European Union and the U.S. Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca. The factories are all still awaiting responses. Across Africa and Southeast Asia, governments and aid groups, as well as the World Health Organization, are calling on pharmaceutical companies to share their patent information more broadly to meet a yawning global shortfall in a pandemic that already has claimed over 2.5 million lives . Pharmaceutical companies that took taxpayer money from the U.S. or Europe to develop inoculations at unprecedented speed say they are negotiating contracts and exclusive licensing deals with producers on a case-by-case basis because they need to protect their intellectual property and ensure safety. ADVERTISEMENTCritics say this piecemeal approach is too slow at a time of urgent need to stop the virus before it mutates into even deadlier forms. WHO called for vaccine manufacturers to share their know-how to dramatically increase the global supply.ADVERTISEMENTADVERTISEMENTIf that can be done, then immediately overnight every continent will have dozens of companies who would be able to produce these vaccines, said Abdul Muktadir, whose Incepta plant in Bangladesh already makes vaccines against hepatitis, flu, meningitis, rabies, tetanus and measles. All over the world, the supply of coronavirus vaccines is falling far short of demand, and the limited amount available is going to rich countries. Nearly 80% of the vaccines so far have been administered in just 10 countries, according to WHO. More than 210 countries and territories with 2.5 billion people hadnt received a single shot as of last week. ADVERTISEMENTThe deal-by-deal approach also means that some poorer countries end up paying more for the same vaccine than richer countries. South Africa, Mexico, Brazil and Uganda all pay different amounts per dose for the AstraZeneca vaccine and more than governments in the European Union, according to studies and publicly available documents. AstraZeneca said the price of the vaccine will differ depending on local production costs and how much countries order. What we see today is a stampede, a survival of the fittest approach, where those with the deepest pockets, with the sharpest elbows are grabbing what is there and leaving others to die, said Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS. In South Africa, home to the worlds most worrisome COVID-19 variant , the Biovac factory has said for weeks that its in negotiations with an unnamed manufacturer with no contract to show for it. And in Denmark, the Bavarian Nordic factory has capacity to spare and the ability to make more than 200 million doses but is also waiting for word from the producer of a licensed coronavirus vaccine. ADVERTISEMENTGovernments and health experts offer two potential solutions to the vaccine shortage: One, supported by WHO, is a patent pool modeled after a platform set up for HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis treatments for voluntary sharing of technology, intellectual property and data. But no company has offered to share its data. The other, a proposal to suspend intellectual property rights during the pandemic, has been blocked in the World Trade Organization by the United States and Europe, home to the companies responsible for creating coronavirus vaccines. That drive has the support of at least 119 countries and the African Union but is adamantly opposed by vaccine makers. Pharmaceutical companies say instead of lifting IP restrictions, rich countries should simply give more vaccines to poorer countries through COVAX , the public-private initiative WHO helped create for more equitable vaccine distribution. The organization and its partners delivered its first doses last week in very limited quantities. But rich countries are not willing to give up what they have. Ursula Von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, has used the phrase global common good to describe the vaccines but the European Union imposed export controls on vaccines, giving countries the power to stop shots from leaving. On her first day as director-general of the WTO, Nigerias Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said the time had come to shift attention to the vaccination needs of the worlds poor. We must focus on working with companies to open up and license more viable manufacturing sites now in emerging markets and developing countries, she told the organizations members. This should happen soon so we can save lives.The long-held model in the pharmaceutical industry is that companies pour in huge amounts of money and research in return for the right to reap profits from their drugs and vaccines. Last May, Pfizers CEO Albert Bourla described the idea of sharing IP rights widely as nonsense and even dangerous.Thomas Cueni, director general of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, called the idea of lifting patent protections a very bad signal to the future. You signal that if you have a pandemic, your patents are not worth anything.Advocates of sharing vaccine blueprints argue that, unlike with most drugs, taxpayers paid billions to develop vaccines that could help end the worlds biggest public health emergency in living memory. People are literally dying because we cannot agree on intellectual property rights, said Mustaqeem De Gama, a South African diplomat involved in the WTO discussions. Paul Fehlner, the chief legal officer for biotech company Axcella and a supporter of the WHO patent pool board, said governments that poured billions of dollars into developing vaccines and treatments should have demanded more from the companies they were financing from the beginning. A condition of taking taxpayer money is not treating them as dupes, he said. Last month, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading pandemic expert in the United States, said all options need to be on the table, including improving production capacity in the developing world and working with pharmaceuticals to relax their patents. Rich countries, ourselves included, have a moral responsibility when you have a global outbreak like this, Fauci said. Weve got to get the entire world vaccinated, not just our own country.Its hard to know exactly how much more vaccine could be made worldwide if intellectual property restrictions were lifted. But Suhaib Siddiqi, former director of chemistry at Moderna, said with the blueprint and technical advice, a modern factory should be able to get vaccine production going in at most three to four months. In my opinion, the vaccine belongs to the public, said Siddiqi. Any company which has experience synthesizing molecules should be able to do it.Back in Bangladesh, the Incepta factory tried to get what it needed to make more vaccines in two ways, by offering its production lines to Moderna and by reaching out to a WHO partner. Moderna did not respond to requests for comment about the Bangladesh plant, but its CEO, Stephane Bancel, told European lawmakers the companys engineers were fully occupied on expanding production in Europe. Doing more tech transfer right now could actually put the production and the increased output for the months to come at great risk, he said. We are very open to do it in the future once our current sites are running.Muktadir said he fully appreciates the extraordinary scientific achievement involved in the creation of vaccines this year, wants the rest of the world to be able to share in it, and is willing to pay a fair price. Nobody should give their property just for nothing, he said. A vaccine could be made accessible to people high quality, effective vaccines.___Maria Cheng reported from Toronto. Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, Al-Emrun Garjon in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and Andrew Meldrum in Johannesburg, South Africa, contributed to this report. ___Follow APs pandemic coverage at:https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemichttps://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccinehttps://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak In an industrial neighborhood on the outskirts of Bangladeshs largest city lies a factory with gleaming new equipment imported from Germany, its immaculate hallways lined with hermetically sealed rooms. It is operating at just a quarter of its capacity. It is one of three factories that The Associated Press found on three continents whose owners say they could start producing hundreds of millions of COVID-19 vaccines on short notice if only they had the blueprints and technical know-how. But that knowledge belongs to the large pharmaceutical companies who produce the first three vaccines authorized by countries including Britain, the European Union, and the United States Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca. The factories are all still awaiting responses. Across Africa and Southeast Asia, governments and aid groups, as well as the World Health Organization (WHO), are calling on pharmaceutical companies to share their patent information more broadly to meet a yawning global shortfall in a pandemic that already has claimed over 2.5 million lives. Pharmaceutical companies that took taxpayer money from the U.S. or Europe to develop inoculations at unprecedented speed say they are negotiating contracts and exclusive licensing deals with producers on a case-by-case basis because they need to protect their intellectual property and ensure safety. Critics say this piecemeal approach is just too slow at a time of urgent need to stop the virus before it mutates into even deadlier forms. WHO called for vaccine manufacturers to share their know-how to dramatically increase the global supply.If that can be done, then immediately overnight every continent will have dozens of companies who would be able to produce these vaccines, said Abdul Muktadir, whose Incepta plant in Bangladesh already makes vaccines against hepatitis, flu, meningitis, rabies, tetanus, and measles. All over the world, the supply of coronavirus vaccines is falling far short of demand, and the limited amount available is going to rich countries. Nearly 80% of the vaccines so far have been administered in just 10 countries, according to WHO. More than 210 countries and territories with a collective population of 2.5 billion hadnt received a single shot as of last week. The deal-by-deal approach also means that some poorer countries end up paying more for the same vaccine than richer countries. South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, and Uganda all pay different amounts per dose for the AstraZeneca vaccine more than governments in the European Union, according to studies and publicly available documents. AstraZeneca said the price of the vaccine will differ depending on factors such as production costs, where the shots are made and how much countries order. What we see today is a stampede, a survival of the fittest approach, where those with the deepest pockets, with the sharpest elbows are grabbing what is there and leaving others to die, said Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS. In South Africa, home to a new COVID-19 variant, the Biovac factory has said for weeks that its in negotiations with an unnamed manufacturer with no contract to show for it. And in Denmark, the Bavarian Nordic factory has capacity to spare and the ability to make more than 200 million doses but is also waiting for word from the producer of a licensed coronavirus vaccine. Governments and health experts offer two potential solutions to the vaccine shortage: One, supported by WHO, is a patent pool modeled after a platform set up for HIV, tuberculosis, and hepatitis treatments for voluntary sharing of technology, intellectual property, and data. But not a single company has offered to share its data or transfer the necessary technology. The other, a proposal to suspend intellectual property rights during the pandemic, has been blocked in the World Trade Organization by the U.S. and Europe, home to the companies responsible for creating the coronavirus vaccines. That drive has the support of at least 119 countries among the WTOs 164 member states, and the African Union, but is adamantly opposed by vaccine makers. Pharmaceutical companies say instead of lifting patent restrictions, rich countries should simply give more of the vaccines they have to poorer countries through COVAX, the public-private initiative WHO helped create for equitable vaccine distribution. The organization and its partners delivered its first doses last week in very limited quantities. But rich countries are not willing to give up what they have. Ursula Von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, has used the phrase global common good to describe the vaccines. Even still, the European Union imposed export controls on vaccines, giving countries the power to stop shots from leaving their borders in some cases. In comments Monday on her first day as director-general of the WTO, Nigerias Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said the time had come to shift attention to the vaccination needs of the worlds poor. We must focus on working with companies to open up and license more viable manufacturing sites now in emerging markets and developing countries, she said, according to notes from her closed-door talk with delegates shared with The Associated Press. The long-held model in the pharmaceutical industry is that companies pour in huge amounts of money and research in return for the right to reap profits from their drugs and vaccines. At an industry forum last May, Pfizers CEO Albert Bourla described the idea of sharing intellectual property rights widely as nonsense and even dangerous. AstraZenecas chief Pascal Soriot said if intellectual property is not protected, there is no incentive for anybody to innovate.Thomas Cueni, director general of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, called the idea of lifting patent protections a very bad signal to the future. You signal that if you have a pandemic, your patents are not worth anything.Advocates of sharing vaccine blueprints argue that, unlike with most drugs, taxpayers paid billions to develop vaccines that are now global public goods and should be used to end the biggest public health emergency in living memory. People are literally dying because we cannot agree on intellectual property rights, said Mustaqeem De Gama, a South African diplomat who has been deeply involved in the WTO discussions. Paul Fehlner, the chief legal officer for biotech company Axcella and a supporter of the WHO patent pool board, said governments that poured billions of dollars into developing vaccines and treatments should have demanded more from the companies they were financing from the beginning. A condition of taking taxpayer money is not treating them as dupes, he said. In an interview with the Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading pandemic expert in the U.S., said all options need to be on the table, including increasing aid, improving production capacity in the developing world, and working with pharmaceutical companies to relax their patents. Rich countries, ourselves included, have a moral responsibility when you have a global outbreak like this, Dr. Fauci said. Weve got to get the entire world vaccinated, not just our own country.Its hard to know exactly how much more vaccine could be made worldwide if intellectual property restrictions were lifted, because the spare production capacity of factories has not been publicly shared. But Suhaib Siddiqi, former director of chemistry at Moderna, said with the blueprint and technical advice, a modern factory should be able to get vaccine production going in at most three to four months. In my opinion, the vaccine belongs to the public, said Mr. Siddiqi. Any company which has experience synthesizing molecules should be able to do it.Back in Bangladesh, the Incepta factory tried to get what it needed to make more vaccines in two ways, by offering its production lines to Moderna and by reaching out to a WHO partner. Moderna did not respond to multiple requests for comment about the Bangladesh plant, but its CEO, Stephane Bancel, told European lawmakers that the companys engineers are fully occupied on expanding production in Europe. Doing more tech transfer right now could actually put the production and the increased output for the months to come at great risk, he said. We are very open to do it in the future once our current sites are running.Mr. Muktadir said he was also in discussions last May with CEPI, or the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, one of WHOs partners in a global effort to buy and distribute COVID-19 vaccines fairly, but nothing came of it. CEPI spokesman Tom Mooney said the talks last year with Incepta didnt raise interest, but that CEPI is still in discussions about matchmaking opportunities including the possibility of using Inceptas capacity for second wave vaccines.Mr. Muktadir said he fully appreciates the extraordinary scientific achievement involved in the creation of vaccines this year, wants the rest of the world to be able to share in it, and is willing to pay a fair price. Nobody should give their property just for nothing, he said. A vaccine could be made accessible to people high quality, effective vaccines.Get stories thatempower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads. This story was reported by The Associated Press. Maria Cheng reported from Toronto. Jamey Keaten in Geneva; Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark; Al-Emrun Garjon in Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Andrew Meldrum in Johannesburg, South Africa, contributed to this report. Editors note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. Its free.

###CLAIM: sam and allardyce were both relegated to 19th place in 2008 and both survived twice to be reappointed in 2015. ###DOCS: 1) Some changes in personnel from Klopp? Jurgen Klopp loves a Saturday lunchtime kick-off away from home after his team has played on the previous Wednesday night, and the lucky Liverpool manager has another one to look forward to at Selhurst Park. Despite his grumbles about the dire need for extra substitutes to help ease player fatigue in this compacted season, Klopp didnt use any of the three available to him against Tottenham, a lack of touchline activity BT Sport reporter Des Kelly might be minded to inquire about if hes feeling brave. With eight of the team that started against Tottenham having played the full 90 minutes against Fulham, Klopp may freshen things up a little before a festive schedule in which his team is slated to play four matches in 13 days, including the FA Cup tie against Aston Villa. Midfielders Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are both fit again and may well feature against Palace. BGCrystal Palace v Liverpool, Saturday 12.30pm GMT2) Agueros return can get City firing againHaving made a 14-minute cameo against West Brom in midweek Sergio Aguero could return to Manchester Citys starting eleven as they seek to end a run of two successive draws. Aguero has scored in each of his last three appearances against Southampton and in four of the last five the Saints 1-0 win in this fixture in July came while the Argentinian was out with a knee injury. This is the first time in a little over six years that Southampton will go into a fixture against Manchester City above their opponents in the table. In November 2014, they hosted a battle between second and third, but a 3-0 away win saw City vault above the Saints and into second place, where they stayed for the remainder of the campaign; Southampton lost their next three league games and finished seventh. SBSouthampton v Manchester City, Saturday 3pmSergio Aguero has started just three games in all competitions for Manchester City this season. Photograph: Matt McNulty/Manchester City FC/Getty Images3) In-form Iwobi returning to haunt Arsenal? Everton v Arsenal, or the Kevin Campbell derby, as absolutely nobody calls it. Of course, Arsenals trip to Goodison Park is also a dose of nostalgia for manager Mikel Arteta, while former Gunner Alex Iwobi is starting to regain the form which caused Everton to spend around 30m on the Nigerian international. In a slightly deeper role, Iwobi has added work rate and tactical understanding to complement his attacking flair under Carlo Ancelotti, who was full of praise for the Arsenal academy graduate after Evertons 2-0 win at Leicester. Its Iwobis best moment since I arrived. He is showing confidence, is really good in one-on-one situations and is working hard. All qualities which Arsenal could do with for Saturdays match. MBEverton v Arsenal, Saturday 5.30pm4) Newcastles Bruce faces cant win gameA penny for the thoughts of Steve Bruce after he saw his Newcastle side get dismantled by Leeds. Saturday nights home game against Fulham certainly isnt must win for the Newcastle boss, but he goes into it knowing its definitely cant win from a personal point of view. Such is the contempt in which he is held on Tyneside, Bruce knows he will be criticised whatever the outcome. Even victory would likely be greeted with shoulder shrugs accompanied by grumbles that it was only Fulham. Newcastles every good result appears to be attributed to blind luck, and every bad one blamed specifically on his shortcomings. You could be forgiven for wondering what, if any, kind of job satisfaction the Newcastle manager enjoys. Fans remain infuriated to the point of apoplexy by his conservative approach, but he might consider releasing the handbrake, if preventing a spike in his already sky-high levels of unpopularity didnt depend entirely on simply avoiding defeat. BGNewcastle v Fulham, Saturday 8pmSteve Bruce exchanges words with Leeds Ezgjan Alioski during Newcastles 5-2 loss at Elland Road. Photograph: Tim Keeton/AP5) Another chance for Sanchez at BrightonBrighton have conceded 21 goals this season; outside the bottom three, only Leeds have conceded more. That is despite the Seagulls allowing their opponents only 112 shots, fewer than every team but Manchester City. Of every five shots taken against them, one will go in. Mat Ryans apparent inability to stop shots resulted in his being dropped for the midweek trip to Fulham, and Graham Potter has said Robert Sanchez will stay in goal for this game. Theres a bit about Robs quality that we believe in a lot and sometimes you have to give them the opportunity to show what theyve got, Potter says. I thought he brought his quality to the [Fulham] game, he made important saves and he has huge potential. He has all the attributes to be a top goalkeeper. Sanchez is unlikely to be hugely tested by a Sheffield United side whose start to the season is now officially the worst in English top-flight history, even if nine of their last 12 games have been lost by just one goal. SBBrighton v Sheffield United, Sunday 12pmFootball Weekly Extra Bilic out, Allardyce in at West Brom Sorry your browser does not support audio - but you can download here and listen https://audio.guim.co.uk/2020/05/05-61553-gnl.fw.200505.jf.ch7DW.mp3 00:00:00 00:55:256) Ndidis welcome return to Leicester midfieldBoth Tottenham and Leicester go into their meeting on Sunday on the back of defeats to Merseyside clubs, with both in need of at least a point to keep spirits up for the festive period. Having been forced to play Wilfried Ndidi in a makeshift defence against Everton, Brendan Rodgers will welcome back Jonny Evans from suspension, while the expected return of Timothy Castagne after nearly two months out will further bolster their defence. Making his second start after an eight-week absence through injury, Ndidi was one of few Leicester players to impress against Everton and his return to his rightful place in midfield could prove crucial as Rodgers plots to nullify Tottenhams potentially lethal attacks on the break. BGTottenham v Leicester, Sunday 2.15pmWilfried Ndidi tussles with Evertons Dominic Calvert-Lewin while filling in at centre-back for Leicester. Photograph: Getty Images7) Sturdier defences at Elland Road 90 years on? It is more than nine years since these great rivals last met, and this game will be played on the 90th anniversary of Leeds most emphatic victory in the fixture. Manchester United lost 5-0 at Elland Road in 1930 and gave, according to the Guardian, the poorest exhibition of football seen at Leeds for a long time, in which they were fortunate to lose by no more than five goals the Yorkshire Post said that on the chances and the run of play this score might well have been doubled. Manchester United went into that match at the foot of the table, having already conceded four goals on four occasions, five goals twice, six goals twice and seven in a ludicrous home defeat to Newcastle. They ended the season with a goal difference of -62 and were relegated in last place. Leeds went down with them. SBManchester United v Leeds, Sunday 4.30pm8) West Broms board will be blamed if Baggies go downFootball isnt fair, just ask Jose. And while there is general uproar at West Broms sacking of Slaven Bilic after automatic promotion last season and the Baggies spirited draw away at Manchester City on Tuesday, the simple fact is that seven points from 13 games is relegation form and a change of manager is the easiest, cheapest way to bring overhaul to a club. The football might not be pretty, but Sam Allardyce has never been relegated and has twice before been appointed to clubs in 19th place Blackburn in 2008 and Sunderland in 2015 and survived on both occasions. If West Brom do go down, the board will be to blame they sacked two managers (Tony Pulis and Alan Pardew) in 2017-18 and finished bottom. They have been warned. MBWest Brom v Aston Villa, Sunday 7.15pmChris Wood celebrates his late penalty equaliser for Burnley against Wolves in July. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images9) Bank on a late penalty leveller at Turf MoorIt may reassure Wolves, whose last two matches have featured decisive stoppage-time goals, to know that Burnley are yet to score in the final 15 minutes of either half in any game this season, and the Clarets two goals at Turf Moor so far have come in the third and eighth minutes. On the other hand, both games between these sides last season featured stoppage-time penalty equalisers, with Chris Woods 96th-minute spot-kick at Turf Moor Burnleys only shot on target in that match. The team was always in control but sometimes justice in the game doesnt exist, complained Nuno Espirito Santo. Perhaps karma was at work: at Molineux back in August 2019, Raul Jimenezs 97th-minute penalty was Wolves second shot on target. SBBurnley v Wolves, Monday 5.30pm10) Has Haller earned his place for Hammers? Its been a funny start to life at West Ham for Sebastien Haller. Much like his performance (and wonder goal) against Crystal Palace, the 45m signing has ranged from complete obscurity to centre of attention. Seven goals in 15 appearances this season isnt bad, though, and his bicycle kick on Wednesday oozed class. It was reminiscent of another big, France-born striker, Oliver Giroud, who has also flickered between the sublime and the ordinary during his career. Haller has a long way to go before he can be mentioned in the same bracket as his opponent on Monday night, but will be hoping for a start at Chelsea even if Michail Antonio returns from injury. MB

###CLAIM: last august gallup found that the percentage of parents who said their children would be home schooled this year had increased to 10 percent. ###DOCS: Not that there was any doubt as you Skyped your friends and saw their kids doing schoolwork at the kitchen table behind them, but homeschooling is way up during the pandemic. According to the Census Bureau, three times as many students are being homeschooled now as were taught that way before COVID-19 appeared. And that's real homeschooling with lessons chosen by families, not virtual classes offered by brick-and-mortar schools. Private school enrollment has also increased under the stresses of the past year. Undoubtedly, many families will return to public schools after the virus is gone, but others will stick with alternatives they learned to trust when government offerings failed. "[T]he global COVID-19 pandemic has sparked new interest in homeschooling and the appeal of alternative school arrangements has suddenly exploded," the Census Bureau announced this week of the results of crunching data from the Household Pulse Survey. Before the pandemic, the Bureau noted, about 3.3 percent of students were homeschooled. As COVID-19 spread in the spring of 2020 and schools fumbled their efforts to offer lessons beyond closed classrooms, that number rose to 5.4 percent of students. Many families must have liked what they triedor really disliked what their old schools were doingbecause the number of homeschooled kids doubled again once summer break was over. "By fall, 11.1% of households with school-age children reported homeschooling (Sept. 30-Oct. 12)," the Bureau added. Of course, this has been a confusing time, with blurry borders between various arrangements. Are kids "homeschooling" if they're watching video lectures of their English classes at the breakfast table because the teachers union won't let schools reopen? The Census Bureau says that doesn't qualify. "A clarification was added to the school enrollment question to make sure households were reporting true homeschooling rather than virtual learning through a public or private school." So, 11.1 percent of students are engaged in true homeschooling, with curricula chosen by their families. The Census Bureau data confirms earlier reports, corresponding almost exactly with Gallup's finding last August that "there has been a five-point uptick (to 10%) in the percentage of parents who say their child will be home-schooled this year." The polling firm similarly distinguished true homeschooling from remote offerings by public and private schools. As you might expect, while homeschooling has found new favor across the population, its adoption varies from place to place and from group to group. About 16 percent of African-American respondents told the Census Bureau they were homeschooling, compared to 12.1 percent of Hispanics, 9.7 percent of non-Hispanic whites, 8.8 percent of those of Asian background, and 11.6 percent of "other race." The jump among African-Americans is notable not just for the lead they've taken in adopting do-it-yourself learning, but for the size of the jump: only 3.3 percent of respondents in the group reported homeschooling in the spring, the lowest rate among all racial categories. By state, the big homeschooling adopter is Alaska, where more than a quarter of those surveyed report educating at home. Illinois brings up the back at 5.4 percent. Amid national battles between school boards and teachers unions over opening schools or keeping them closed, poor-quality remote teaching by most of those schools, and mass frustration among families, the big loser in all of this has been government-run schools. "Comprehensive national data aren't available yet, but reporting by NPR and our member stations, along with media reports from around the country, shows enrollment declines in dozens of school districts across 20 states," NPR reported in October. "Large and small, rich and poor, urban and rural in most of these districts the decline is a departure from recent trends." Private schools, by contrast, also enjoy new popularity, largely because they've been able to offer the reliable education opportunities that have been unavailable at too many public schools. "In our sample, 70 percent of independent schools experienced increases in enrollment or level enrollments during the pandemic recession," according to a recent study from Georgia's Kennesaw State University that covered 15 states and the District of Columbia. "In our multiple regression analyses, the main driver of this beneficial change in enrollments for independent schools was whether the public school districts that served their home county were open for only virtual instruction to start the 2020-21 academic year." Unsurprisingly, most of the private schools in the study offered in-person instruction, while most of the public schools were only virtual. Many families, especially those with younger children, have been unhappy with remote-only teaching by schools unaccustomed to the practice. The Kennesaw study authors remarked that, during the sort of economic recession that slammed the United States during the pandemic, you would normally expect enrollment declines at tuition-charging schools. Families have been motivated by their dissatisfaction with the performance of default-choice public schools to try something different, whether that's private schooling or homeschooling. The next question is whether this surge of interest in education alternatives is likely to stick. Has homeschooling become a mainstream option? While we can't be certain what people will choose to do in the future, the data suggests that's likely. "Private school and traditional homeschool parents remain more positive about their children's progress compared to district school parents," EdChoice reports of the results of its latest monthly survey. About 62 percent of private school parents say they are "very satisfied," as do 57 percent of charter school parents and 51 percent of homeschoolers. Only 37 percent of public school parents say the same. Importantly, 63 percent of parents report feeling much or somewhat more favorable about homeschooling than before the pandemic, compared to 21 percent who feel less so. While numbers have varied over the months of the pandemic, increased favorability has maintained a solid majority. What was once an oddball choice (although decreasingly so) largely impressed those who gave it a try. After COVID-19 passes, many families will go back to public schools for which they've already paid through taxes, but they won't forget their disappointment with those schools' performance. Having tried something different others will, instead, choose education options more to their liking.

###CLAIM: the photo and barnetts interview with the news media prompted law enforcement to conduct a database search and confirmation of the identity. ###DOCS: Here are some of the people charged since a mob breached the CapitolHere are some of the people charged since a mob breached the Capitol Authorities say they could ultimately arrest hundreds as the country seeks accountabilityThe four-hour insurrection that breached the U.S. Capitol brought the democratic process to a stunning halt and left one police officer and four others dead. Now, the country is seeking accountability. Authorities say they could ultimately arrest hundreds, building some of their cases with the social media posts and live streams of alleged participants who triumphantly broadcast images of the mob. Investigations into possible charges encompass not only trespassing but also assaults on law enforcement, theft of national security and defense information, felony murder and more. The gamut of cases is mind-blowing, said Michael R. Sherwin, acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. The stories of those arrested just a fraction of the thousands who gathered Jan. 6 at President Trumps urging illustrate how a baseless campaign to overturn the election led to conspiracy theorists and aggrieved Trump supporters violently storming the Capitol. Here are some of the people who face charges. Daniel Page Adams Texas Daniel Page Adams of Texas, along with his cousin Cody Page Carter Connell of Louisiana, were arrested and charged with assaulting police, civil disorder, and other offenses during the riot. Authorities say video shows Adams at the front of a crowd on Capitol grounds pushing toward a line of police officers as he repeatedly shouts Lets go, lets go, lets go! before he and others sprint up the Capitol steps. According to an FBI affidavit, Adams is seen physically engaging with several law enforcement officers, who are trying to prevent them from breaking through. Adams lawyer could not be immediately reached. Read the full story arrow-rightRichard Barnett 60, Arkansas Trump supporter Richard Bigo Barnett was photographed sitting at a desk in the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). (Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock) Barnett was arrested and could face a year in prison. (Washington County Sheriff/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock) Richard Bigo Barnett, 60, of Gravette, Ark., was captured in a widely shared image that showed the Trump supporter and self-described white nationalist sitting in House Speaker Nancy Pelosis office, his left foot propped up on a desk. The photo and Barnetts interviews with the news media prompted law enforcement to search databases and confirm his identity, according to acting attorney general Jeffrey A. Rosen, who called the images shocking and repulsive. Barnett is charged with knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; and theft of public money, property or records. An attorney for Barnett did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Read the full story arrow-rightLarry Rendell Brock 53, Texas Larry Rendell Brock, seen in the well of the Senate chamber holding white zip-tie cuffs plastic restraints that police use to detain people, prosecutors said. (Win Mcnamee/Getty Images) Larry Rendell Brock, a 53-year-old retired Air Force lieutenant colonel from Texas, was pictured in the well of the Senate chamber wearing a green combat helmet and holding white zip-tie handcuffs, plastic restraints used by police to detain people, prosecutors said. He is charged with one count of knowingly entering a restricted building and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct. Speaking to the New Yorker, Brock echoed the presidents baseless claims of election fraud and said he assumed he was welcome to enter the building. The President asked for his supporters to be there to attend, and I felt like it was important, because of how much I love this country, to actually be there, he said. Brock did not respond to a request for comment, and his public defender could not immediately be reached. Read the full story arrow-rightJacob Anthony Chansley 33, Arizona Jacob Anthony Chansley was one of the most distinctive individuals roaming the Capitol Wednesday: shirtless and tattooed, wearing face paint and a headdress made of coyote skin and buffalo horns. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images) Chansley was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and with violent entry and disorderly conduct on the Capitol grounds. (Stephanie Keith/Reuters) Jacob Anthony Chansley was arrested after storming into the Capitol shirtless and wearing a headdress of buffalo horns and coyote fur. Speaking to The Washington Post, the Phoenix resident expressed ardent support for the QAnon conspiracy movement and Trumps false claim that there was widespread fraud in the presidential election. What we did on Jan. 6 in many ways was an evolution in consciousness, because as we marched down the street along these ley lines, shouting USA or shouting things like freedom ... we were actually affecting the quantum realm, Chansley told The Post. Chansley was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, and with violent entry and disorderly conduct on the Capitol grounds. The Post spoke to him before his arrest and could not immediately reach him afterward. His public defender did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Read the full story arrow-rightLonnie Coffman 70, Alabama Authorities say they arrested Lonnie Coffman after finding him with a cache of weapons in his pickup truck the day of the Capitol riots. (U.S. attorney's office for the District of Columbia) Lonnie Leroy Coffman, 70, of Falkville, Ala., was arrested after authorities found him with a cache of weapons in his red GMC pickup truck the day of the riot, according to prosecutors. Coffman is accused of carrying 11 Mason jars filled with gasoline and melted plastic foam which an FBI affidavit said could produce a napalm-like explosion of sticky, flammable liquid in addition to a rifle, a shotgun, two 9mm pistols, a .22-caliber pistol, five types of ammunition and a large-capacity magazine, all loaded and unregistered and unlicensed in the District of Columbia. Coffman had an apparent license to carry a pistol in Alabama, prosecutors said. A federal grand-jury indictment charged him with 16 counts of D.C. firearms violations and one federal firearms count. He also possessed a crossbow, several machetes, a stun gun and smoke devices, prosecutors said. In an earlier criminal complaint from U.S. Capitol Police, he was charged with one count of unlawful possession of a destructive device and one count of carrying a pistol without a license under D.C. law. Coffmans assistant federal defender declined to comment. Read the full story arrow-rightCody Page Carter Connell Louisiana Cody Page Carter Connell of Louisiana was arrested and charged with assaulting a federal officer, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, among other criminal offenses. An FBI affidavit said Connell allegedly described events in a conversation on social media, saying he and his cousin Daniel Page Adams of Texas stormed police and breached the Capitol after Adams got clubbed and shot with rubber bullet. But we pushed the cops against the wall, they dropped all their gear and left, the FBI quoted Connell as saying. We will be back and it will be a lot worse than yesterday, Connell allegedly wrote on Facebook, the FBI said. Connells lawyer could not be immediately reached. Read the full story arrow-rightMatthew Ross Council 49, Florida U.S. Capitol Police encountered Matthew Ross Council in a group of rioters who broke through an emergency door, according to a probable-cause statement from the arresting officer. As the mob pushed their way in, Council shoved an officer, the document said. Officers pepper-sprayed him and took him into custody. Council, 49, had apparently come to Washington from Riverview, Fla., a southeastern suburb of Tampa where Council has worked as a self-employed marketing and sales communications consultant, according to his LinkedIn biography. A former football player at Virginias Liberty University, the conservative evangelical institution, Council appears to have dabbled in politics, as well. He worked on at least one unsuccessful Republican campaign for the North Carolina House of Representatives roughly 10 years ago and also pursued political science courses at Seminole State in 2011. The arresting Capitol Police officer said that as he read Council his Miranda rights, he spontaneously expressed remorse about pushing the officer and indicated that he did not intend to injure her. Council did not respond to requests for comment; a clerk at the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said no attorney had been listed to represent him yet. Gracyn Courtright West Virginia Defending the storming of the U.S. Capitol as cool, Gracyn Courtright broadcast her participation on social media and embraced the firestorm that followed as publicity, the FBI says. Video from the University of Kentucky students Twitter account showed her inside the Capitol building, according to an affidavit. INFAMY IS JUST AS GOOD AS FAME, she wrote above a mirror photo posted to Instagram either the day of the Capitol riot or the day after, according to the affidavit. EITHER WAY I END UP MORE KNOWN. XOXO The affidavit outlines alleged offenses including theft of a Members Only sign; knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds, and engaging in disorderly conduct in the Capitol building or its grounds with the intent of disrupting a session of Congress. The Washington Post was unable to reach Courtright, who authorities say is a college senior, and it was not immediately clear whether she has a lawyer. A reporter could not clearly hear a man who answered at a phone number listed for her address, and the line soon went dead. Read the full story arrow-rightJenny Cudd 36, Texas Jenny Cudd was arrested and charged in federal court with entering a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and violent entry or disorderly conduct. Authorities say the 36-year-old florist from western Texas was photographed in the Capitol Rotunda with a Trump flag draped over her shoulders, and soon after launched a live stream boasting, We did break down ... Nancy Pelosis office door. An FBI agent said in a statement of facts that in addition to the photographs and live stream, he reviewed security footage showing Cudd entering the building, taking pictures in the Rotunda and roaming the halls. An attorney for Cudd in D.C. declined to comment on the charges. Cudd denied wrongdoing in an interview with a Midland, Tex., television station, saying she did not mean for it to be taken literally when she said we broke into Pelosis office. Do I think that it was wrong for me to go through an open door and get inside of the Capitol? No I dont, she said in a separate interview with a CBS affiliate. I didnt break any laws. I didnt do anything unlawful.Derrick Evans 35, West Virginia In a since-deleted Facebook Live video, former West Virginia Republican lawmaker Derrick Evans streamed footage of rioters prying open Capitol doors. (Perry Bennett/AP) Former West Virginia lawmaker Derrick Evans (R), 35, was among the most high-profile arrests after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. He announced his resignation from the West Virginia House of Delegates a day after he was taken into custody and, according to the Justice Department, charged with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, in addition to one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Federal prosecutors allege that in a since-deleted Facebook Live video, Evans streamed footage of rioters prying open Capitol doors, before he crossed the threshold of the doorway himself and can be seen on video shouting: Were in, were in! Derrick Evans is in the Capitol! Resigning less than four weeks after he was sworn into office, Evans expressed regret but did not admit wrongdoing. An attorney for Evans, John H. Bryan, has maintained that Evans is innocent, that he was not part of the violent mob that damaged the Capitol and that he was exercising his First Amendment rights. Read the full story arrow-rightDavid Ray Fitzgerald 48, Illinois David Ray Fitzgerald, a 48-year-old tattoo artist from Roselle, Ill., said he did not venture into the Capitol but was arrested on charges of a curfew violation and unlawful entry as he stood in the parking lot. He has pleaded not guilty, court records show. The father of seven said he doesnt usually vote but became a staunch Trump fan over the past year as he spent days in quarantine reading up on the presidents attitudes toward trade agreements and abortion. Im not a deranged Trump supporter, he said. Im an American supporter, and I think that theres only one person on the ticket that has the same values as I do. Fitzgerald and friends pooled their resources to organize the drive and book a Holiday Inn room for the Jan. 6 rally, driven by their hope that Trump could still win the election. Fitzgerald said he only watched the chaos from the grass and didnt venture into the Capitol. Read the full story arrow-rightJacob Fracker and Thomas Robertson 29 and 47, Virginia Jacob Fracker, 29, and Thomas Robertson, 47, both officers with the Rocky Mount Police Department in Virginia, were arrested for their alleged actions at the Capitol and have been placed on administrative leave. An arrest affidavit says the FBI had information that Robertson and Fracker were photographed in the Capitol between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Jan. 6 making an obscene statement in front of a statue, while off-duty. According to the affidavit by U.S. Capitol Police Special Agent Vincent Veloz, a now-deleted Facebook post by Fracker was captioned: Lol to anyone whos possibly concerned about the picture of me going around. ... Sorry I hate freedom? ... Not like I did anything illegal ... yall do what you feel you need to. Robertson told a local news station that they were allowed entry by Capitol Police and did not participate in any violence. Both Robertson and Fracker said in court they were military veterans. The Post was unable to reach the officers, and it was not clear if they have attorneys. Read the full story arrow-rightRobert Gieswein 24, Colorado Robert Gieswein, 24, of Woodland Park, Colo., is charged with assaulting police, civil disorder and obstruction of police and government. In court papers, FBI agents say he runs a private paramilitary training group and is affiliated with an extremist group, the Three Percenters. Information about Giesweins attorney was not available, and efforts to reach Gieswein and relatives were unsuccessful. Read the full story arrow-rightCouy Griffin 47, New Mexico Couy Griffin, a county Commissioner in Otero County, N.M., and founder of an organization called Cowboys for Trump, was charged with illegally entering or remaining in a restricted building. He was arrested after the FBI said it received a tip that he had been present at the Capitol riots. Griffin has openly talked about his involvement in the siege, stating in a video posted on the Cowboys for Trump Facebook page, which has now been deleted, that he climbed up to the top of the Capitol and ... had a first row seat, according an FBI affidavit. In the same video he declared his intentions of going back to the U.S. Capitol for Inauguration Day, where he would bring his firearms and plant an American flag on the desk of Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, and warned there would be blood running out of that building. No lawyer was listed for Griffin in his case records as of Tuesday. Read the full story arrow-rightLeonard Guthrie 48, New Jersey Leonard Guthrie Jr., a 48-year-old resident of Cape May, N.J., said he broke through a police barrier to reach the U.S. Capitol steps and readily admits his transgressions, bluntly telling The Post, I broke the law. He was arrested for unlawful entry. He said he hasnt often been well enough to work since having two surgeries on his back. In the absence of employment, he has heavily leaned into his Christian beliefs and conservative political views, he said. When he heard about the Stop the Steal rally, Guthrie said he thought he could combine his two passions. If he and other Christians had been able to pray outside while senators voted inside, he feels certain it would have changed their votes. I know it would have, he said. He says he feels aggrieved. Weve been silenced for so long, he said. For years, because I voted for Trump, Im called a racist, a Nazi, a bigot and all that stuff, and its not right. Read the full story arrow-rightSuzanne Ianni 59, Massachusetts Suzanne Ianni leaves the courthouse in Boston on Jan. 19, 2021, after appearing on charges related to the January 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Photo by Faith Ninivaggi/Reuters) (Faith Ninivaggi/Reuters) Massachusetts town official Suzanne Ianni, 59, of Natick, was arrested on charges related to the Capitol riot after her group sent members to the Jan. 6 event, according to the FBI. She was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Authorities say the Natick Town Meeting member was pictured with others in the Capitol building and listed as an organizer of the Super Happy Fun America trip, which included 11 buses of people. The group, known for organizing Bostons Straight Pride Parade, claims to advocate for the straight community. More than 1,600 residents petitioned to have her removed from office, prompting her town to reevaluate its bylaws, Mass Live reported. Her attorney, Henry Fasoldt, did not respond to requests for comment from The Post. Douglas Jensen 41, Iowa Douglas Jensen, a 41-year-old laborer from Des Moines, is facing federal charges after photos and video captured him leading rioters up a staircase at the U.S. Capitol. (Polk County Jail/AP) Douglas Jensen, a 41-year-old laborer from Des Moines, is facing federal charges after he was captured in photos and videos leading rioters up a staircase as a police officer attempted to hold the crowd back. Jensens boss, Dick Felice, who owns Forrest & Associate Masonry, said he terminated Jensens employment. He committed a crime, as far as Im concerned, Felice said. Jensen could not be reached for comment, and his attorneys did not immediately respond to an inquiry. Read the full story arrow-rightAdam Johnson 36, Florida A photo of Adam Johnson carrying House Speaker Nancy Pelosis lectern smiling and waving at the camera went viral amid efforts to identify rioters at the Capitol. (Win Mcnamee/Getty Images) Adam Johnson has been charged with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, one count of theft of government property and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. (Pinellas County Sheriff's Office/Reuters) Adam Johnson, 36, of Bradenton, Fla., was photographed carrying Pelosis lectern through the building and waving at the cameras. The widely circulated images led to his arrest just days later. Johnson also streamed on Facebook Live while inside the Capitol and posted on his social media accounts that he was in Washington, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Johnson has been charged with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, one count of theft of government property and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. An attorney for Johnson didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Read the full story arrow-rightChad Barrett Jones Kentucky Officials say that Chad Barrett Jones, of Mount Washington, Ky., was part of a violent crowd that stormed the House Speakers Lobby during the breach of the U.S. Capitol, smashing a window with a flagpole moments before Ashli Babbitt was fatally shot. An FBI charging affidavit alleges that Jones is the man shown in video at Babbitts left on Jan. 6, wearing a red hooded jacket and gray skullcap and striking the lobby doors glass panels as a mob chanted Break it down! and Lets f-----g go! Jones allegedly used a flagpole to break the glass, the affidavit says. Jones is charged with assaulting a federal officer, civil disorder, obstruction of justice, destruction of property and trespassing. The Post could not reach Jones. Read the full story arrow-rightKlete Keller 38, Colorado Klete Keller in the Capitol (Townhall Media/Julio Rosas/Townhall Media/Julio Rosas) Klete Keller, a 38-year-old five-time Olympic medalist, was spotted on video wearing a Team USA jacket in the Capitol Rotunda during the riots. He was charged with violent entry, obstructing law enforcement and disorderly conduct after FBI agents used video and other evidence to confirm his presence inside the Capitol, records show. The swimmer represented the United States at the Summer Olympics in 2000, 2004 and 2008. Standing 6-foot-6 and wearing a familiar Olympic jacket, Keller was easy to identify for many swimmers, coaches and officials who had competed with and against him over the years; two of whom told The Post they recognized the maskless Keller in the footage. In the video, he can be seen in the Rotunda, at one point amid a mob of Trump supporters and law enforcement officers pushing against each other. Keller has made no public comments about his presence at the Capitol and did not return phone messages or emails seeking comment. Read the full story arrow-rightCleveland Meredith Colorado Cleveland G. Meredith Jr. of Colorado was arrested Jan. 7 and later charged with interstate communication of threats and several weapons violations after the FBI received information about his alleged threats and presence in Washington. Meredith arrived in Washington on the day of the planned pro-Trump rally with an assault-style rifle outfitted with a telescopic sight, a Glock firearm with high-capacity magazines and more than 2,500 rounds of ammunition, according to federal prosecutors. Federal investigators later found through cellphone records that Meredith sent multiple text messages to friends between Jan. 4 and Jan. 7 threatening violence against Pelosi and others, court records show. The Post could not reach Meredith, and his attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Read the full story arrow-rightAaron Mostofsky 34, New York Aaron Mostofsky, who has since been arrested, was photographed inside the Capitol wearing what appear to be several fur pelts, a bulletproof vest and a riot shield. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP) Mostofsky, the son of a Brooklyn judge, faces charges including violent or disorderly conduct at the Capitol and theft of government property exceeding $1,000. (Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images) Aaron Mostofsky, the 34-year-old son of a Kings County Supreme Court judge, was arrested at his brothers Brooklyn home and faces four charges, including felony theft of government property. Mostofsky attracted attention from photographers and videographers after he was seen in the Capitol on Jan. 6 wearing what appear to be several fur pelts, a U.S. Capitol Police bulletproof vest and a riot shield. The widely circulated images, which included Mostofsky speaking briefly to the New York Post, quickly drew the notice of federal investigators. Mostofskys attorney, Jeffrey T. Schwartz, declined to comment but told ABC New York that his client was not part of the mob action. He was not rampaging. He got caught up in it. Read the full story arrow-rightEric Gavelek Munchel 30, Tennessee Eric Gavelek Munchel, of Tennessee, was charged in federal court for his alleged participation in the Capitol riots. (Metro Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tenn./AP) Eric Gavelek Munchel, of Tennessee, was arrested in his home state after allegedly participating in the storming of the Capitol. He was charged in federal court with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. A person authorities believe was Munchel was photographed climbing over a railing in the Senate gallery carrying plastic restraints and wearing an item in a holster on his right hip, according to the Justice Department. The person also had a cellphone mounted on his chest with the camera facing outward. It was a kind of flexing of muscles, Munchel told the Sunday Times of his role at the Capitol. The intentions of going in were not to fight the police. The point of getting inside the building is to show them that we can, and we will. Munchel, his family and his neighbors did not respond to calls from The Post, and his attorney did not immediately return an inquiry. Read the full story arrow-rightRobert Keith Packer 56, Virginia Several photographs taken at the Capitol show a man identified as Robert Keith Packer wearing a sweatshirt with the words Camp Auschwitz above a skull and crossbones. (Western Tidewater Regional Jail/AP) Robert Keith Packer, 56, of Newport News, Va., is charged with unlawful entry and disorderly conduct on restricted Capitol grounds. Multiple photographs taken at the Capitol show a man identified as Packer wearing a sweatshirt with the words Camp Auschwitz above a skull and crossbones, the FBI concluded. Beneath the skull was the phrase Work brings freedom, a rough English translation of the German words that hung over one of the gates of the Nazi death camp where more than 1.1 million people were killed during World War II. Read the full story arrow-rightGuy Reffitt 48, Texas Video footage of the Capitol riot on January 6 shows plaintiff Guy Reffitt wearing a tactical-style vest and rinsing his eyes. ((Courtesy of FBI)) Federal officials allege that two days after Guy Reffitt joined the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, he returned home to Wylie, Tex., and proudly told his family of his escapade. But by Jan. 11, when Reffitt learned the FBI was on to him, he changed his tune, according to an affidavit. If you turn me in, youre a traitor and you know what happens to traitors ... traitors get shot, Reffitt, 48, said to his son and daughter, according to his wife, who recounted the conversation to the FBI, which did not name the relatives. Reffitt was arrested and charged with unlawful entry into the Capitol and obstruction of justice for allegedly threatening his family. I love him but I hate him, Reffitts 18-year-old son said in an interview with KXAS, saying his father has grown increasingly obsessed with politics. I dont really know him anymore. The Post could not reach Reffitt, and it is not clear whether he has a lawyer. Read the full story arrow-rightBrad Rukstales Illinois Bradley Rukstales, then-CEO of a Chicago-area data analytics company, faces charges including violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. In a public statement, he said he entered the Capitol through open doors to see what was taking place inside and condemned the violence and destruction that took place in Washington. It was the single worst personal decision of my life, he wrote. Rukstales was fired from his job, according to a statement by his former employer, and did not respond to a Post reporters requests for further comment. An attorney for Rukstales could not immediately be reached. Read the full story arrow-rightMark Sahady 46, Massachusetts Bostons Straight Pride Parade organizer Mark G. Sahady, 46, of Malden, was arrested after federal agents said they discovered photos of Sahady in the Capitol. He was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Sahady is listed in court records as the vice president of Super Happy Fun America, the controversial group behind Bostons Straight Pride Parade. In posts, the group, which purports to be an advocate for the straight community, wrote it planned to get wild in Washington on the day of the Capitol riots. Attorney Rinaldo Delle Gaddo said Sahady did not do anything illegal because the area of the Capitol building he was in was public and not cordoned off.Robert Lee Sanford Jr. 55, Pennsylvania Robert Lee Sanford Jr., 55, a recently retired firefighter from Chester, Pa., threw a fire extinguisher at members of the Capitol Police, according to law enforcement. A tipster in Pennsylvania told the FBI that Sanford, a friend of many years, confessed he was the person that the FBI was looking for in connection with videos showing a man apparently hurling an object at a group of officers, court documents say. Capitol Police officer Brian D. Sicknick, who died as a result of injuries sustained in the riot, was hurt in a separate incident. Sanford recently retired from the Chester Fire Department, an FBI agent said, and acknowledged that he was photographed wearing a hat bearing CFD. Im just stunned, said retired Chester Fire Department battalion chief Charles E. Hopkins Jr. A lawyer listed for Sanford did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Sanford could not be reached. Read the full story arrow-rightJon Schaffer Indiana Jon Schaffer, a heavy-metal guitarist from Columbus, Ind., who founded the band Iced Earth, was among the rioters who targeted Capitol Police with bear spray, authorities say. He was charged with six crimes, including engaging in an act of physical violence. Officials say Schaffer was photographed inside the Capitol on Jan. 6 wearing a hat that said Oath Keepers Lifetime Member, an apparent reference to an armed civilian group. The Oath Keepers showed up last summer at Black Lives Matter protests in military gear, declaring themselves vigilante forces seeking to prevent vandalism. According to the FBI, Schaffer was at a pro-Trump march in November attended by the Oath Keepers and said: Were not going to merge into some globalist, communist system. It will not happen. There will be a lot of bloodshed if it comes down to that, trust me. It was not clear whether Schaffer has a lawyer. Read the full story arrow-rightKevin Seefried Delaware Authorities say Kevin Seefried, of Delaware, was pictured carrying a Confederate flag inside the Capitol. (Mike Theiler/Reuters) Authorities say Kevin Seefried, of Delaware, was pictured carrying a Confederate flag inside the Capitol and told FBI investigators he brought it from his home, where he normally displays it outside. He and his son Hunter Seefried were among the first group to break into the Capitol and were identified by law enforcement after a co-worker of Hunters reported that he bragged about being in the building, according to court records. Both men were charged with trespassing, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. They could not be reached for comment. Read the full story arrow-rightJohn Earle Sullivan 26, Utah John Earle Sullivan, 26, who shot video inside the U.S. Capitol, was arrested on Jan. 14, 2021. (Tooele County, Utah, Sheriff's Office) John Earle Sullivan, whose 40-minute video following rioters through the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 captured the fatal shooting of a Trump supporter, has been charged with causing a civil disorder, trespassing and disorderly conduct. Sullivan repeatedly exhorted rioters to enter the building and overwhelm police, and seemed to convince Capitol Police officers to walk away from the glass door entry to the House Speakers Lobby, his video shows, though he later claimed he was there to document not participate in the event. The footage has placed him at the center of a conservative campaign to blame liberal groups for the Capitol siege. Sullivans lawyer, Mary Corporon, said that she had no comment. Read the full story arrow-rightDouglas Sweet Late-50s, Virginia Douglas Sweet, of Virginia, faces charges including violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. His daughter Robyn Sweet described him as a self-employed handyman in his late 50s who lives in rural Virginia and became increasingly fixated with conspiracy theories after Barack Obama was elected president. After Trump rose to power, Sweet said, her father attended the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville in 2017 and has discussed baseless conspiracy theories spread by QAnon followers. Douglas Sweet could not be reached for comment. After his arrest, he posted a message on Facebook saying he was released on his own recognizance and described the unlawful-entry charge as a citation equal to ticket. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney. Read the full story arrow-rightRiley June Williams 22, Pennsylvania Riley June Williams is charged with helping to steal a laptop from the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. (Dauphin County Prison/Via Reuters) Riley June Williams, a 22-year-old from Pennsylvania, is charged with helping to steal a laptop from Pelosis office and obstructing an official proceeding during the riots, two felony charges for which the defendant could face decades in prison. The FBI says Williams appears to have filmed and then shared a video of another person lifting an HP computer off a desk. An affidavit links to images of all-caps, typo-riddled social media posts from a user named Riley who declares that they STOLE S T FROM NANCY POLESI. A public defender appointed to represent Williams, Lori Ulrich, said in court that many of the allegations lodged against her client are false. Williams is also charged with trespassing as well as violent entry to and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Key to the FBIs investigation was a person who claimed to be Williamss former romantic partner and who shared the video clips allegedly showing Williams aiding the theft of government property. Read the full story arrow-right In the wake of a violent mob, incited by President Donald Trump, storming the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., many involved in the assault have yet to be arrested. This despite the fact that many have been possibly identified by others online in a fervent effort to bring the perpetrators to justice. What started as a pro-Trump rally near the White House on Jan. 6 turned into a deadly attack on Congress when rioters stormed the Capitol, purposefully disrupting the certification of Joe Bidens victory in the 2020 presidential election, sending hundreds of lawmakers into hiding and leaving five people dead. By nightfall on Jan. 6, one rioter shot by Capitol Police had died, later identified as Ashli Babbitt, and three more had died from medical emergencies. A day later, Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick died at a local hospital due to injuries sustained while physically engaging with the mob. Although more than 70 people connected to the insurrection have been charged with crimes and multiple law-enforcement agencies are still building an investigation, some feel that the action being taken against the thousands of rioters who participated is too little, too late. While some notable arrests have been made in the week since the insurrection, many of the rioters are still walking free. With many videos and photos of the event freely available, the internet has sought to speed up arrests by naming those who took part. Over the past week, viral twitter threads filled with information that might be used to credibly identify rioters including individuals being referred to by hashtags like #ExtinguisherMan and #Cavemancontinue to pop up on Twitter. An account was launched on Instagram, dubbed HomegrownTerrorists, that claims to identify those who have been arrested following the attack, and seeks help in identifying other alleged perpetrators. Additionally, in the days following the event, multiple tweets have gone viral for seemingly, and flagrantly, exposing people who took part in the attack. Some people have been easier for the internet to possibly identify than others. Britney Spears brief ex-fiance Jason Allen Alexander is believed by many to have been in attendance at the Trump rally before the Capitol attack. The New York Times reported on Tuesday that former teammates identified Olympian gold medalist Klete Keller as part of the mob, after a video surfaced on Twitter showing him in the Capitols rotunda wearing his U.S.A. Olympic team jacket. The internet has both a history of working to identify criminals and questionable track record of actually assisting authorities. The Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 sparked a similar hunt for suspects on Reddit, leading to the misidentification of a suspect which was briefly taken up by local law enforcement. For the attack on the Capitol, the FBI has been outspoken to direct all credible evidence to them. Because of this, the FBI has also been inundated with tips and information from the public, according to Steven DAntuono, the head of the bureaus Washington field office. At a press briefing at the Justice Department on Tuesday, DAntuono told reporters that the agency had received around 100,000 photos and videos to date. On Saturday, acting U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia Michael Sherwin told NPR that hundreds involved could ultimately face charges. This statement was followed by a Tuesday announcement that the Justice Department and FBI had created a sedition and conspiracy task force to pursue charges against the insurrectionists and investigate any terror links. The overt, and even seemingly entitled, manner in which the attack occurred, with many rioters posing for picture and sharing them on public platforms, might have been one of the primary factors for some of the most prominent arrests thus far. Among those who are now facing charges are Jacob Chansley (better known as Jake Angeli or QAnon Shaman), a well-known conspiracy theorist who was photographed in the Capitol shirtless and wearing a horned fur headdress with red, white and blue face paint; Richard Barnett, an Arkansas man who posed for photos in Speaker Nancy Pelosis office before allegedly stealing a piece of her mail; and Adam Johnson, a Florida man who was photographed carrying off Pelosis lectern. While Chansley and Barnett remain in custody after being charged, Johnson has been released on a $25,000 surety bond with a GPS monitor on his ankle. Some rioters were left to walk free for days afterwards, prompting online outrage over authorities lackluster response to the violent insurrection. This while many were quickly and credibly identified by photos and videos taken amid the siege, their own social media posts, interviews they gave or, in Chansleys case, calling the FBI himself. Not waiting for law enforcement, the Miami Herald took it upon itself to identify Johnson the day after the attack. It wasnt until the following day that U.S. Marshals arrested him. Leading up to the Jan. 6 assault, white nationalists, right-wing extremists and self-styled militia groups openly planned for weeks to storm the Capitol, promising violence in Washington. This has led to questions over why law enforcement was overwhelmed so quickly when the rally turned violentespecially with videos surfacing online that appear to show a Capitol Police officer taking selfies with the rioters, several officers removing metal barriers at the Capitol to let rioters freely pass and an officer holding open a door to allow rioters to exit the Capitol without being arrested. Pointing out the apparent white privilege of the largely white mob sporting Confederate flags and Nazi paraphernalia that participated in the attack, Twitter users recalled the overwhelming display of force by police at Black Lives Matter protests over the summer. If that had been Black Lives Matter, retired Capitol Police officer Theortis Butch Jones told TIME, they wouldnt have gotten even to the steps of the Capitol.People are going to be shocked with egregious activity in the Capitol, Sherwin said, citing video footage and witness accounts that have not been made public, according to the Washington Post. No resources of the FBI or the U.S. attorneys office will be untapped to determine if there was command and control, how it operated and how it executed these activities.The FBI has reported that armed protests are planned at all 50 state capitals and in D.C. in the days leading up to Bidens inauguration on Jan. 20, and some are concerned that law enforcements handling of the Jan. 6 insurrection has set a dangerous precedent for what could potentially lie ahead. Write to Megan McCluskey at megan.mccluskey@time.com.

###CLAIM: for another, d. c. soldiers deployed to the capitol expressed shock at the violence wednesday by pro- trump supporters. ###DOCS: Other Guardsmen who have since deployed to the Capitol worry they lack the proper equipment including weapons and armor to defend themselves if protests again turn violent in the days leading up to Joe Bidens inauguration. Top Pentagon officials have defended their handling of the situation, noting that D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and other local and federal officials sought to limitthe militarys role in the response ahead of the riots. Other officials have fired right back in press accounts, telling reporters it was the Pentagon, in fact, that was skittish about deploying the military to handle what began as a peaceful protest outside the Capitol only later to evolve into a violent assault inside the halls of Congress. The first members of the National Guard did not arrive at the Capitol until close to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the Pentagons own timeline well after the mob smashed its way into the House and Senate, killed a police officer, and drove the entire Congress and the vice president into hiding. To the Guardsman left to protect orange traffic cones and ensure that downtown commuters could get to and from work safely, all the finger-pointing only deepens their frustration, knowing they might have been able to help. They are puzzled, too, at what they see as spin coming from their own chain of command. Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told reporters Monday that the 340 Guardsmen who had been initially deployed for traffic control on Wednesday were in uniform as requested, but had to return from their locations around the city to the D.C. Armory to strap on body armor, pick up their riot gear, and receive a briefing on their new mission. But several of the Guardsmen said they already had access to necessary equipment, including body armor, face shields and helmets, when they were first deployed to Metro stations and checkpoints throughout D.C. before dawn on Wednesday. One Guardsman said leadership explicitly referred to the equipment as riot gear, and said it was all they would have needed to respond at the Capitol. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman acknowledged that the Guardsmen did have personal protective gear, including helmets and body armor, in vehicles nearby, but said they did not have riot gear immediately accessible. One of the Guardsmen said they were aware of the concern among their superiors about the image of troops in front of the Capitol and how it might look like the military was being used to stage a coup. But he said the prevailing sentiment among the Guardsmen, as the situation clearly spiraled out of control, was, Who gives a s--- about optics at this point?Another D.C. Guardsman, who was deployed with the Metropolitan Police Department for traffic control on Wednesday, described being far removed from the Capitol in another part of the city, watching videos of the rioters on social media and feeling infuriated that the police were not fighting back. If the mob had not been predominantly made up of white Trump supporters, he said, guns would have gone off earlier.The rioters were mace-ing the police, they were throwing things, someone got hit in the head, someone got beat to death, said the person, who participated in Black Lives Matter protests this summer. Ive been to Black Lives Matter protests on both sides and Ive never seen that amount of restraint.The atmosphere among the soldiers and police that day was initially relaxed, the Guardsman added. The group expected the Trump supporters to push on the barricade, yell and scream, throw their temper tantrum and ultimately just go home. But when he heard over the radio that the mob had breached the Capitol, the Guardsman, who is African American, says he called his wife and urged her to stay at her moms house in a D.C. suburb because he didnt have faith that the authorities would handle the situation. One Guardsman from outside D.C., whose unit was mobilized after the standoff and entered D.C. on Thursday, recalled yelling at the TV while watching rioters storm the Capitol. Even before the mob breached the building on Wednesday, the Guardsman began packing a suitcase and preparing mentally for an intense deployment, assuming they would be sent in to respond to the chaos. Instead, the person said, they had to watch from the sidelines.We train hard to prepare for this stuff, so we were all angry at the situation and not being able to help in the moment, the person said. Were here now, but the damage is done.A three-hour delayDefense officials insist that the notion that there was any delay in deploying the Guard is overblown or was not their fault. Once the mob breached the Capitol and requests for additional Guard support began flooding in, Pentagon officials had to quickly sort through the requests and obtain the proper authorizations from the various agencies, including the Capitol Police, to send troops to the Capitol, according to Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy. By Wednesday evening, hundreds of Guardsmen were on scene at the Capitol. Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller had activated the entire D.C. National Guard and authorized up to 6,200 Guardsmen from across the country to deploy to Washington. He bolstered that number on Monday, authorizing up to 15,000 troops. The National Guard was not even authorized to head to the scene until the Capitol Police requested support and received approval from the Army secretary. According to a timeline released by the Pentagon on Friday, then-Capitol Police chief Steven Sund did not request additional Guard support from McCarthy until a 2:22 p.m. phone call, and Miller authorized the additional support at 3 p.m.Sund told The Washington Post on Monday that he requested that the National Guard be put on standby in case the situation got out of control, but was rebuffed by the House and Senate Sergeants-at-Arms Paul Irving and Michael Stenger. By 2:26 p.m. last Wednesday, about 35 minutes after the mob had stormed the Capitol, Sund told the Post, he was begging for backup. The first National Guardsmen didnt arrive until three hours later. By then, it was too late. A city on edgeFive days later, the Guardsmen patrolling a deeply shaken city are still on edge, amid reports of explosive devices found in cars and warnings of extremist groups mobilizing for another round. The Guardsman from outside D.C., who will be deployed in Washington through the inauguration, noted that there is growing frustration on the ground that so far the troops have not been authorized to wear body armor during daily operations. The main threat right now seems to be a potential lone wolf-style terrorist attack, the person said, and many soldiers are concerned that they will become soft targets by not wearing body armor, even when there is not an active threat. Another D.C. Guardsman, who deployed to the Capitol, expressed shock at the violence from the pro-Trump supporters on Wednesday. During a Tuesday night rally ahead of the big day, the protesters were peaceful, he recalled, taking pictures with the Guardsmen but the next day the whole climate shifted 180 degrees.The mood of the crowd had become feral, almost rabid. By the time the persons unit arrived at the Capitol, as the sun was setting late on Wednesday, some of the rioters yelled at the Guardsmen in an attempt to antagonize them. I was more afraid about what would happen to the country, the African-American Guardsman recalled thinking that day. I was more afraid about what was going to happen after.

###CLAIM: models in smock dresses and blue gray minidresses shared a glimpse of her weight loss with a video filmed for her story in crop tops, saying : "everybody says you look like you're losing weight on dm. ###DOCS: She recently revealed she has lost more than half a stone and is feeling better than ever. And Jacqueline Jossa oozed confidence as she showcased her incredible figure while modelling her In The Style spring collection on Instagram on Thursday. The former EastEnders star, 28, slipped into a pale green ribbed dress for one look, which highlighted her slender waist thanks to its wrap-over design. Green with envy: Jacqueline Jossa oozed confidence as she showcased her incredible figure while modelling her In The Style spring collection on Instagram on ThursdayIn a different shot, Jacqueline posed in a pink off-the-shoulder flared co-ord which sheathed over her slender physique. She also modelled a smock dress and blue-grey minidress from the casual collection. Jacqueline captioned the post: 'Who said casual can't look cute? We're LIVE guys on the @inthestyle app!! This one is my 'spring casuals' drop! Literally my go to range for EVERYTHING. School run, walks, supermarket, day to day. I've got you covered.' At the end of last month, she told fans she was feeling 'really good' in an Instagram chat and spoke about her weight loss journey during a Q&A, after confessing she'd struggled to stick to her new healthy eating plan. When asked about how much weight she's lost, she responded: 'I don't actually know as of this week I haven't looked but over half a stone but I've got a while to do.' Spring chic: She also modelled a smock dress and blue-grey minidress from the casual collectionShe also shared a glimpse of her weight loss as she filmed a video for her Instagram Stories in a crop top, and said: 'Everybody is saying to me in the DM's that you look like you're losing weight. 'I am losing weight, I've lost over half a stone. I'm really happy, I've got a long way to go. But I'm feeling good, more confident and positive.' Jacqueline's husband Dan Osborne has also embarked on a fitness transformation. The former TOWIE star, 29, proudly showed off his seven week body transformation on Instagram last week. Alongside the shirtless snap, Dan wrote: 'Late night shoulders/ traps session. 7 weeks back training with a healthier diet. 'Feels good to be back into training, physically but more importantly, mentally.'

###CLAIM: politico reports that three sources familiar with the plan say the administration will announce a ban on imports of solar materials a day after placing the company and four others on a trade blacklist because of forced labor concerns. ###DOCS: U.S.-China trade dispute harms AmericansWelcome, China Watchers. This weeks guest host is Craig Allen, president of the U.S.-China Business Council. Craig has held several senior positions at the Commerce Department, including deputy assistant secretary for Asia and as senior commercial officer in Beijing. He also served as ambassador to Brunei. Over to you, Craig. John Yearwood, global news editorU.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and other Biden administration economic officials have held a flurry of meetings in recent weeks with their Chinese counterparts. These conversations are a good start to stabilizing strained relations between the two countries, worsened by Trump-era policies aimed at recalibrating the commercial relationship ranging from tariffs to sanctions to tightened export controls and foreign investment reviews. But after these initial meetings and reports Wednesday of future talks its unclear what the next steps are in U.S.-China trade and investment negotiations. While the Biden team is still conducting what it calls a top-to-bottom review of policies toward China, Tai has said that any movement on tariffs would depend on three factors: conversations with China, the effectiveness of the Phase One trade agreement and U.S. strategy on China. As Cabinet members and President Joe Biden prepare for additional discussions, they should also consider a fourth factor: the price that the United States will continue paying with American jobs and competitiveness if it keeps on the current path, particularly regarding the tariffs that remain on goods worth $370 billion. U.S. exports to China consistently support around 1 million American jobs. The trade war of the last three years has given us a small window into a future in which the United States and China deliberately erode their commercial relations, and the emerging picture is not pretty. At its peak, the trade war cost the United States about 245,000 jobs and $108 billion in lost GDP, according to a study by Oxford Economics. Keep in mind that this was before Covid-19 drove millions of Americans to file for unemployment. States and municipalities across America are caught in the crossfire of the trade war. For years, states have increased trade ties with China, which has created complex, two-way relationships. Recognition of the deep local relations aiding U.S.-China trade is often missing in the larger policy debate. A California state official described it well: We dont have a foreign policy; thats the federal governments responsibility. But we do have foreign relations, and they are extremely important to us. A 2019 Business Roundtable study notes that up to one in five California jobs depend on international trade, with almost 146,000 jobs supported by exports to China. Middle class trade policyThere appears to be a disconnect between the reality of local economies dependence on trade, the cost of the tariffs and the rhetoric of their elected representatives in Washington. A Michigan lumber exporter complained to your host that tariffs of 25 percent have almost killed the industry: Dozens of mills have closed throughout the country, with the loss of thousands of good jobs. Soybean and corn farmers in the Midwest got bailed out; we got nothing. Nobody seems to pay attention.Two years ago, Chinese buyers snapped up 80 percent of Michigans production. Now, its down to the single digits. His former Chinese buyers may turn to non-U.S. suppliers, some of whom are in countries that dont manage their forests sustainably. In addition to not contributing to bottom lines here in the United States, the cost is also to climate change efforts everywhere. This is another hidden, unintended cost of tariffs. When the Biden administration talks about a trade policy for the middle class, it must acknowledge the jobs that depend now on foreign trade and those that will in the future. A study by Trade Partnership Worldwide suggests that 21 million American jobs along the value chain, including transportation, final assembly, wholesale and retail, are associated with imports. Imports from China comprised 19 percent of all U.S. goods imports in 2020. These jobs include assembly and trucking, as well as marketing, selling and accounting. In 2020, despite pandemic-induced political tension, tariffs and disruptions, exports to China from all 50 states increased by 18 percent. Much of the increase reflects billions of dollars in purchases of goods, such as agricultural commodities, as Chinese retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods were waived to meet commitments under the Phase One trade agreement. This agreement ends at the end of this year. Unless it is renewed or replaced with understandings that permanently lift tariffs, states that rely on exports of agricultural commodities and other goods hit hard by tariffs over the last three years may very well see declines in trade-dependent jobs and associated tax revenues. Chinese tariffs on U.S. agricultural products, for example, cut these exports by more than half between 2017 and 2018, but these reached a record high last year after tariff exclusions were put in place. Enormous scaleWhile it is difficult to say whether the U.S. or China has suffered more from the trade war, Moodys Analytics says that American companies shouldered more than 90 percent of the cost of U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods. The price of Chinese imports has remained stable as the United States ramped up tariffs, which means the brunt of the tariff burden is borne by U.S. consumers and companies. There is a tendency to view this as a zero-sum game: that cooperating or collaborating with China can only hurt U.S. competitiveness. But American high-tech companies have operated in China for decades. Primarily, they operate in China, for China or in China, for Asia selling to consumers in those markets. Of goods produced by U.S. companies in China, 80 percent are sold in China and only 7 percent are exported to the United States, with the rest going to other countries. The Chinese market has enormous scale. If American companies are prevented from operating in China, they will be rapidly replaced by Japanese and European competitors and Chinese domestic firms. If American companies are prevented from operating in China, our competitors will be able to take advantage of Chinas economies of scale and rapid adoption of technology to outcompete U.S. companies everywhere else, including in our home market. While American companies are on board with precise export controls scoped to address precise security concerns, broad restrictions such as the Trump-era order that allows the government to block a wide swath of technology transactions between U.S. and Chinese companies create significant uncertainty and could be very damaging to U.S. competitiveness. U.S. companies have been operating successfully in China for decades and investing profits from their China-based operations in their research and development programs back in the United States creating good-paying jobs. Without U.S.-China trade in technology, there will be less money to invest in R&D, personnel and factories back home that keep American companies at the leading edge. The path the U.S. is currently on needlessly hinders the trade relationship through ineffective tariffs, heavy-handed export control measures and other restrictions. Without a consensus among allies, its unclear what these tactics will accomplish, including Chinas access to sensitive technologies. But it will certainly dampen U.S. technological leadership, cede U.S. market share to foreign competitors and reduce investment in future jobs. China must face up to its role in contributing to the friction in U.S.-China relations and help in easing current tensions. For its own sustainable economic development, China needs to improve market access and industrial competitiveness across a whole range of industries, especially in parts of the economy that are dominated by state-owned enterprises. But the United States also needs to be clear and honest in its own accounting. Actions it has taken that need to be reassessed include limiting Chinese students at our universities, blocking access to U.S. capital markets, restricting investments in both directions and barring visitors because of their membership in the Communist Party. These and other actions undermine the stability and predictability on which business and people-to-people relationships depend. The United States and China will eventually return to the negotiating table, hopefully soon. Given its impact on the middle class, trade must be at or near the top of the agenda. And now, back to your regular China Watcher programming... A tech update from Protocol | China. Protocol | China, backed by Robert Allbritton, publisher of Protocol and POLITICO, tracks the intersection of technology and policy in the world's largest country. Sign up for the newsletter and learn more about Protocols research here. This weeks coverage includes Beijings plan to nationalize data, a long battle is brewing over short dramas, a shopping bonanza under the dark cloud of antitrust. TRANSLATING WASHINGTON CBP TO BLOCK SOLAR PANEL MATERIAL FROM XINJIANG FIRM: The Biden administration will announce an import ban on solar materials from a major Chinese firm, according to three sources familiar with the plans, a day after placing the company and four others on a trade blacklist over forced labor concerns, POLITICO reported. Hoshine hit with WRO: On Thursday, CBP will issue a ban on imports of products containing inputs from Hoshine Silicon Industry Co. Ltd, a major manufacturer of the feedstock for the polysilicon inside most solar panels, according to two of the sources. The action, called a "withhold release order," will allow CBP to seize shipments from Hoshine, only releasing them if the importer can prove they are not made with forced labor. Ho-shining the spotlight: Hoshine was largely the subject of a report earlier this year on Uyghur forced labor in global supply chains from the Sheffield Hallam University Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice that received attention from the solar industry. Entity list additions: "The move will come a day after the Commerce Departments Bureau of Industry and Security added Hoshine and four other firms located in Xinjiang to its 'entity list,' a trade blacklist that prevents U.S. firms from doing business with the listed entities without approval from the U.S. government. Those other companies are Xinjiang Daqo New Energy Co., Xinjiang East Hope Nonferrous Metals Co., Xinjiang GCL New Energy Material Co., and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. All are involved in the manufacture or use of polysilicon products," and XPCC, the last entry, is already subject to an import ban from the Trump administration,POLITICO reported. Short of regional ban: The trade ban on Hoshine stops short of a "region-wide WRO to block imports of polysilicon from all entities in Xinjiang. The administration has recently considered such a ban, POLITICO reported this week, but CBP often blocks imports from individual companies as it builds the legal case for broader action. The Trump administration took that approach, banning imports from XPCC before a Xinjiang-wide ban on cotton and tomatoes." Translating China APPLE DAILY FOLDS: Hong Kongs embattled Apple Daily printed its last edition on Thursday, closing after 26 years after a new national security law made it practically impossible to continue operations. Apple Daily is not perfect, but what will Hong Kong be like without us? the paper said in an open letter to readers. We thank our readers for joining us. We have fought a good war.The South China Morning Post reported that the decision to end the print and online publication came hours after its lead editorial writer was detained by police on suspicion of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces. "Yeung Ching-kee, 55, also a senior columnist, was the sixth arrest under the national security law in relation to a series of articles published by the paper allegedly calling for foreign sanctions, following last weeks detention of five top executives," SCMP reported. "Insiders said Yeungs arrest prompted a fresh round of resignations, worsening the exodus since last week in which the newspaper lost nearly half of its workforce, that earlier this month had numbered 800." CHINA PREPARES FOR A CELEBRATION: As China prepares for July 1 celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, China Watcher contributor Shirley Martey Hargis spoke with Brian Wong, founding editor of Oxford Political Review, about what hes seeing on social media in China about the event. Wong said he has noticed three distinct conversations among netizens. There is truly a sense of pride and triumphalism amongst a lot of netizens. They resonate, although there might be dispute, with the fully doctrinal thought that this is a very important watershed moment for the Partys and Chinas development moving from just another socialist state to a genuine superpower, he said. But Wong said some in China, especially Beijing, are concerned about lockdowns during the celebrations. A chap who commented that he ordered a smoked chicken, but he couldnt get it through because he was told, No ducks allowed! No entry into Beijing even if it is a dead duck. This signifies that the triumphalist rhetoric is not shared by everyone on the ground. There is an annoyance, but I dont think it translates to annoyance with the party, Wong said. The final strand that Wong noted was the view of the adversities the treacherous international environment where the perception is China is currently besieged by a lot of backlash and Western consternation. This celebration has a very, very important symbolic effect. It symbolizes strength despite adversities, Wong said. Watch for more on the CCP's 100th anniversary in the next China Watcher. SECRET DETENTION INCREASE: Secret detention without trial in China is on the rise, creating one of the worlds largest systems of forced disappearances, according to a new report from human rights activists. Tens of thousands of people have been subjected to residential surveillance at a designated location (RSDL), a name for an Orwellian system, the group Safeguard Defenders said in the report, Locked Up, the Guardian reported. Researchers have combed Chinas official court database to identify nearly 23,000 cases nationwide where it had been used since 2013, after a change in Chinese law gave police sweeping powers to detain with virtually no oversight, the newspaper reported. The detained persons family is meant to be notified that they have been taken into custody, but police 'routinely bypass' this requirement and there is little contact with relatives or legal teams. SMART ELEPHANT HERD: The BBC reported that a herd of endangered elephants in China has completely dumbfounded scientists globally, while captivating an entire nation in the process.The herd has been making its way across China for more than a year, stunning scientists. Elephants normally move small distances, but not 310 miles. It's thought that they started their journey last spring from Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve in the southwest of the country, near the border with Myanmar and Laos. They began moving north and in the last few months, the elephants have popped up in a number of villages, towns and cities, the BBC reported. Thanks to: Ben Pauker, Gavin Bade, Shirley Martey Hargis, Luiza Ch. Savage, Matt Kaminski and editor John Yearwood. Do you have tips? Chinese-language stories we might have missed? Would you like to contribute to China Watcher or comment on this week's items? Email us at [email protected].

###CLAIM: the president urged the election, in which anyone with ties to a major corporation is not named to key cabinet posts. ###DOCS: WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) Leading progressives are pressuring President-elect Joe Biden to embrace their policy agenda even as more centrist Democrats argue such proposals prevented the party from retaking full control of Congress. For now, much of the lobbying centers on who Biden should or should not appoint to key posts as he builds out the administration that will take office in January. ADVERTISEMENTThe left-leaning think tank Progressive Change Institute partnered with more than 40 activist groups and on Friday released a detailed list of 400 progressive policy experts they want Biden to bring on. That follows a separate effort from more than half a dozen progressive groups this week that signed letters urging the president-elect against naming anyone with ties to major corporate interests to key Cabinet posts. Now is absolutely the moment to push Biden to do whats necessary to meet the moment, said David Segel, a former Rhode Island state representative and executive director of Demand Progress, which was among those signing the letters. And that means a robust economic response, a robust health care response, a willingness to push back against concentrated corporate power thats fomenting inequality. And he has a mandate to do all of that.The jockeying amounts to the opening round of what is likely to be a lengthy debate over the future of the Democratic Party. Some centrists have blamed losses in the House and a disappointing performance in the Senate on Republicans ability to paint Democrats as having moved too far to the left. Thats creating tension for a party that should be basking in the glow of defeating an incumbent president for the first time in nearly 30 years. Were a big family. Theres lots of different parts to the family, said Mitch Landrieu, the former Democratic mayor of New Orleans who has a reputation as a political centrist. Its a welcome discussion because the country is changing dramatically, and we have to think of how to navigate into the future.Much of the focus will be on how Biden fills out his administration. In a letter earlier this week, top progressive groups asked Biden to decline to nominate or hire corporate executives, lobbyists, and prominent corporate consultants to serve in high office.ADVERTISEMENTThey also said he should aggressively make appointments while Congress is not in session and employ the Vacancy Act, a 1998 law that allows for appointments to administration positions for more than 200 days without Senate approval. Doing either would keep Senate Republicans from blocking Bidens top choices especially the most progressive ones whose nominations would face the toughest confirmation fights. Additionally, the groups sent a similar letter to Senate Democrats instructing them to hold Biden accountable to those demands. Biden has promised to expand Obama administration ethics rules curbing lobbyist and corporate interests in government, a stark departure from the Trump administrations friendly relationship with large businesses. But hes also leaning on advisers with deep Washington experience and calling for bipartisanship and healing a divided nation meaning his new administration could drift naturally toward the middle, steered there by his top choices for top positions. Biden won the presidency by refusing to embrace his partys most liberal causes, government-funded health care under Medicare for All and the Green New Deal, a collection of proposals to drastically remake the economy to combat climate change. He moved to the left amid the coronavirus outbreak, though, and is now promising to revive the economy once the pandemic subsides by spending $2 trillion to create green jobs and prioritize infrastructure improvements that reduce emissions and work to curb climate change. Were assuming that he wants to implement the agenda that he campaigned on and to implement that agenda he will need folks in his administration who have that commitment to getting things done for the public good, said Stephanie Taylor, co-founder of the Progressive Change Institute. If he has corporate lobbyists in his administration, it would derail his agenda.Lauren Maunus, legislative and advocacy manager for the Sunrise Movement a youth, activist organization that promotes the Green New Deal said Biden bested Trump by embracing a Rooseveltian vision that includes the most ambitious environmental plan in U.S. history. Maunus, whose group helped compile the list of 400 experts recommended for the Biden administration and, separately, signed the letters to Biden and Senate Democrats, said it wasnt simply a matter of policy debate within the Democratic Party, but instead a case where many corporate and fossil fuel interests are trying to seize the mantle of political centrists to protect their financial interests. He was elected on this promise of being a climate president, Maunus said of Biden. We think its both popular and politically advantageous to lean into this role.Segel of Demand Progress noted that Biden failed to win Florida even as its voters approved gradually increasing the states minimum wage to $15 an hour, arguing that Biden might have fared better there if he had more fully embraced progressive ideals. The policy clashes will begin to take more defined shape as Biden makes more choices for his new administration. So far, hes made only one major one, tapping his longtime adviser Ron Klain as his chief of staff. Klain served as czar to the Obama administrations response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak in the U.S., and the pick was cheered by moderate and progressive Democrats alike. Other picks almost certainly wont go as smoothly, but Landrieu said Biden, with his decades of experience in government, is uniquely positioned to listen to all of the perspectives, then choose how best to move the party forward. I think that he will find a way to help navigate what we now call tension between progressives who say, I want to go further, and moderates who are saying, Ill go as far as I can go, but theres limits and really what should we even be thinking about, Landrieu said. Everybodys got a role, and the presidents role is to decide.

###CLAIM: the washington post reports heatedly that representative abigail spanberger, a democrat from virginia, insists she is a moderate: "we need never again to use the word 'socialism' or 'socialism' or we will have a fucking tearing apart in 2022. " ###DOCS: It may just be a function of the circles I travel in, but very few people I know are happy with the election results. Republicans are unhappy that Donald Trump has lost his reelection battle with Joe Biden and will become a one-term president. Democrats are unhappy that the predicted blue wave did not materialize, which means that Republicans will likely maintain control of the Senate and Mitch McConnell can thwart any ambitious Democratic legislation. And my Never-Trump friends are unhappy that the outcome did not deliver the complete repudiation of Trumpism, and the subsequent reformation of a chastened Republican party, that they had hoped for. Like many people, I am guilty of having placed too much trust in the pollsters. But I really didnt think a progressive tsunami was about to crash over the national landscape. The last time there was a genuine Democratic wave election, in 2008, its enabling condition was deep Republican demoralization over the George W Bush administrations economic and foreign policy failures. Trumps supporters, by contrast, are more fired-up than ever, despite his administrations inability to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic and its accompanying economic dislocations. One lesson to be drawn from this election is that US politics nowadays is more about tribal, identity-based divisions than policy disagreements. But its hard to know what other definitive lessons to draw, because in a narrowly decided election all explanations are plausible. My own belief, for what its worth, is that Trump would have won re-election handily if not for the pandemic and his botched response to it. He had the advantages of incumbency that helped his three presidential predecessors win second terms. His base considers him infallible and enough voters outside his base were sufficiently satisfied with the pre-coronavirus economy that they tolerated all the ways in which he was unfit for the presidency. But character is destiny, and the same qualities that allowed Trump to win the presidency his rejection of advice and experts, his unerring preference for personal advantage over the national good ensured that he would lose it through his mishandling of the pandemic. And while the Democrats clearly are the majoritarian party, now that they have won the popular vote for an unprecedented seven of the past eight presidential elections, the country on some basic level continues to reject progressivism. I dont for a second buy the leftwing argument that if Senator Bernie Sanders had been the Democratic nominee, he would have won a smashing victory against Trump and swept in a Senate majority. Given the Senate results and the fact that nearly half of the electorate voted for Trump, I find it hard to credit the argument that the country as a whole yearned for the kind of radical change that didnt even command a majority in the Democratic party. Its true that the Republicans entire election strategy was based on the expectation that Trump would run against Sanders. When that didnt happen, they had to fall back on the charge that Biden, despite his decades-long reputation as a centrist, was somehow the puppet of those who would impose terrifying socialist tyranny upon the land. The implausibility of this claim allowed Biden to flip the Midwestern states that had decided the election in 2016, mobilizing more Black voters than Hillary Clinton did in 2016 while peeling away just enough working-class whites and conservative suburbanites to win narrow majorities. Sanders, who didnt win a single primary victory in the Midwest, could not have built such a coalition. One lesson to be drawn from this election is that US politics nowadays is more about tribal, identity-based divisions than policy disagreementsThe more economically populist and libertarian-ish aspects of progressivism have considerable electoral appeal, as was evident in the states (including some red states) that passed ballot measures liberalizing drug laws and, in Florida, raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. But in California, perhaps the leading progressive state, voters rejected initiatives to reinstate affirmative action, impose rent controls, and classify rideshare and delivery workers as employees. But while Republicans dire warnings of an impending socialist dystopia didnt work against Biden, this line of attack succeeded in allowing them to retake many of the House seats the Democrats flipped in 2018. Republicans tied these most moderate and vulnerable Democrats to far-left ideas such as the Green New Deal, free college, Medicare for All, and defunding the police. Angry centrist Democrats blamed their progressive colleagues, during a private post-election conference call, for costing the party critical seats and reducing the Democrats House majority to a thread. The Washington Post reported that moderate representative Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat from Virginia, heatedly insisted that we need to not ever use the word socialist or socialism ever again, or else we will get fucking torn apart in 2022. The claim that the Democratic party has become a Trojan Horse for socialism also seems to have resounded with large numbers of Hispanics, particularly in states such as Florida and Texas where the Biden campaign performed much worse with these voters than Clinton did in 2016. Republican ads warning that Democrats would turn America into a socialist country may have succeeded in scaring Hispanics whose families fled dictators such as Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez. More generally, its becoming clear that while most minorities vote Democratic, many dont share white progressives views on issues like the need to cut police spending, the desirability of open immigration, and the nature of systemic racism. Then again, there are a host of other reasons why at least some fraction of Hispanics and other minorities may be breaking away from the Democratic coalition. These could include the appeal of Trumps brand of swaggering masculinity, immigrants attraction to conservative ideas of individualism and upward mobility, and the growing tendency of non-college-educated minorities to see the world in similar terms as Trumps base of non-college-educated whites. Or it could mainly be that, under the unique circumstances of this pandemic-year election, Republicans did a better job of engaging with minority voters, while the Democrats choice to suspend door-to-door canvassing, rallies, and other in-person means of voter mobilization was a critical error. A Biden presidency is likely to operate under both the external constraint of the Republican Senate majority and the internal constraint of the need to balance between its moderate and progressive wings. While this all but rules out big, ambitious reforms, it is possible that a Biden administration might succeed in passing more pragmatic measures like an economic stimulus, increased state aid for Covid-19 relief, and incremental criminal justice reforms. Its even possible that there may be bipartisan action to combat climate change; two-thirds of Americans think the federal government should do more on climate, with particularly high levels of concern among coastal residents. But will progressives revolt against what they will see as too little, too late? If the Democratic party succeeds in realigning the college-educated, suburban middle class away from the Republican party while still holding onto its minority supporters and at least some fraction of the white working class, we might finally enter the long-predicted era of Democratic dominance. But the 2020 election showed that these constituencies, as well as the partys moderate and progressive factions, have interests and priorities that are in high tension with each other. If a President Biden can keep the party together, history may remember him as the Great Balancer. Comment on this story Comment Gift Article ShareWhen John Lynch was governor of New Hampshire, his approval ratings were often stratospheric hitting 73 percent in one 2008 poll. Lynch, a Democrat, joked at the time that his wife tried to make sure his head didnt get too big by observing: 73 is a C. Whats so great about that?President-elect Joe Biden would love to earn that kind of C.There is an obsession in our deeply polarized country with how we might come together. Many of the popular remedies are of a touchy-feely sort: Listen to each other better, spend time with people we disagree with, read those whose views differ from our own. All are virtuous activities, but our polarization is about more than sentiments. And as a practical matter, a president operating in a climate of exceptional partisan mistrust especially one confronting a Republican Party that resisted even acknowledging that he won the election can never achieve what Lynch did. AdvertisementNonetheless, Biden does have a chance to persuade some of the persuadable and lower the political temperature at least a few degrees. Follow E.J. Dionne Jr. 's opinions FollowFirst, though, he should forget about making everybody happy. Any president who stands for something will incur the disapproval of at least a third of the people. This group will include old-fashioned partisans who, in Bidens case, will never like a Democratic president, and a subset of Trump extremists who will forever regard his presidency as illegitimate. That crowd will make a lot of noise. Biden and his aides will need to persuade the country and especially the media that the chanters and online ranters do not represent the voice of the people. They are a minority that will never be reconciled to his presidency. We remember Ronald Reagans popularity, but he reached his peak approval level of 68 percent in Gallups surveys only twice. He spent a lot of his time in office in the 40s and 50s. Barack Obama operated within an even narrower range. AdvertisementStill, this means that, at least in theory, Biden has potential to grow from the 51.3 percent of the vote he won to something around 60 percent, perhaps even a bit higher. Who can he realistically reach out to, and how? Since his gains this year over Hillary Clintons 2016 vote were larger among college graduates and suburbanites than among those without college degrees, he needs to continue his outreach to the less privileged White but also Latino. He can do this without breaking faith with the Black voters who gave him decisive majorities. They form a big part of the working class, and would also respond positively to an emphasis on creating well-paying jobs, lifting incomes and, more broadly, themes built around equal dignity. In her book The New Working Class: How to Win Hearts, Minds and Votes, British writer (and Labour Party political adviser) Claire Ainsley highlights the themes of family, fairness, hard work and decency. They are keys to reducing polarization. AdvertisementAt least some of the voters who stuck with Trump did so because they liked his attacks on globalization, were more worried about the economy than the pandemic and felt ignored by conventional politicians. Biden needs to push the parts of his program (its buy American components, for example) that speak directly to these frustrations. The fights he chooses to pick with Republicans should be on behalf of proposals (a higher minimum wage, affordable health insurance, more family-friendly workplaces, political reform to reduce big moneys role in politics) that make clear who is on the side of the forgotten. This also means that Bidens laudable emphasis on fighting climate change must constantly come back to the job-creating potential of investments in green technologies which is what Biden did when he announced his climate team on Saturday. The surest way to block progress is to allow opponents of climate action to cast it as a war by elitist environmentalists on workers employed in existing energy sectors. AdvertisementThe larger lesson is that culture wars are at the heart of our polarization. If they become ferocious, they will block Bidens efforts to broaden his reach. As a religious person, Biden simply by virtue of who he is can reduce levels of mistrust bred by the growing secular/religious divide, and he needs to handle church/state questions with care. He has a moral obligation to be uncompromising on issues of racial justice, but advocates of change need to find arguments (and, yes, slogans) that appeal across existing lines of division. And nothing unites like success (one reason Reagans 1984 Morning in America slogan was so effective), so ending the pandemic and restoring the economy should be the Democrats lodestar. There is, unfortunately, no vaccine that can bring a sudden end to polarization. But with care, attention and shrewdness, Biden has a chance to give himself room to govern by making us hate each other a little bit less. AdvertisementRead more:GiftOutline Gift Article

###CLAIM: like others, creasy said the wage 's tipping has proved to be a point of pandemic, exacerbating long-standing labor issues in the industry and drawing attention to the low wages -- 2. 13 dollars an hour before tips for positions at the tennessee and federal levels. ###DOCS: Listen Comment on this story Comment Gift Article ShareJim Conway started working in restaurants in 1982, making $2.13 an hour, plus tips. And though the world has changed significantly in the nearly 40 years since then, his hourly wage has not. At the Olive Garden outside of Pittsburgh where he worked when the pandemic hit last year, he was making $2.83 an hour, the minimum wage for tipped workers in Pennsylvania, plus tips. So after being furloughed for months last spring, Conway, 64, decided to retire. Being paid the rough equivalent of a chocolate bar an hour from the chain was little incentive for him to stick it out longer in the industry after so many years, especially with tips no longer a reliable source of income and lingering health concerns about covid-19. The main issue for me was safety, Conway said. There are lots of people who dont want to participate in the old ways.Conway is one of the millions of workers who left the restaurant industry during the pandemic and havent come back. The industry has 1.7 million fewer jobs filled than before the pandemic, despite posting almost a million job openings in March, along with hotels, and raising pay 3.6 percent, an average of 58 cents an hour, in the first three months of 2021. Restaurant chains and industry groups say a shortage of workers like Conway is slowing their recovery, as the sector tries to get back on its feet amid sinking covid cases, falling restrictions and resurgent demand in many areas around the country. The issue has quickly become political, with Republicans blaming the labor crunch on the Biden administrations move to boost federal unemployment insurance supplement, which has been a central part of the governments response to the pandemic for most of the past year. GOP leaders and business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce say the extra unemployment insurance is a disincentive for some workers to return to work. In interviews with The Washington Post, 10 current and former workers expressed a wide range of reasons they are or were reluctant to return to work. Some, like Conway, have left the industry or changed careers, saying they felt like the industry was no longer worth the stress and volatility. AdvertisementOthers said jobs that didnt pay enough for them to make ends meet no longer felt appropriate to them. Others left after disputes with managers over issues around safety and pay and other flash points that have emerged in the past year. All described the pandemic as an awakening realizing that long-held concerns about the industry were valid, and compounded by the new health concerns. And forced to stop working or look for other jobs early on in the pandemic, many realized they had other options. The staffing issue has actually a lot more to do with the conditions that the industry was in before covid and people not wanting to go back to that, knowing what they would be facing with a pandemic on top of it, said Crystal Maher, 36, a restaurant worker in Austin, whos become more active on the industrys labor issues in the past year. People are forgetting that restaurant workers have actually experienced decades of abuse and trauma. The pandemic is just the final straw.AdvertisementTonya Breslow, the owner of Mis en Place, a restaurant staffing firm, said a huge number of restaurants she works with are dealing with shortages. The firm recently surveyed 2,000 line cooks and back-of-the-house restaurant workers nationally and found just over a quarter, 26 percent, reported leaving the industry, while 41 percent of workers said they were still employed in the industry. That left about a third of respondents who had not gone back to work. Of that group, most workers said they were not yet back, because they were either looking for the right opportunity, they had concerns about safety during the pandemic, or they did not plan to return to the industry. A turbulent industryThe restaurant industry is famously volatile, home to strong personalities, tense workplaces, grinding hours and unpredictable scheduling. Issues like tip and wage theft, sexual harassment, and drug and alcohol abuse can be widespread, and there is often little in the way of formal job benefits such as health care, vacation time, sick pay or a livable minimum wage, though many workers do well in tips during flush times. AdvertisementTurnover is a way of life; the average job tenure for hourly food service workers is less than two months, according to data compiled by Mis en Place. This constant churn was affecting Jazz Salms life even before the pandemic. The 37-year-old had worked for Carrabbas Italian Grill, a Florida-headquartered chain, at different locations for more than 15 years, but said she had to find another job after one of the restaurants outposts, near Miami, burned down. She got a job at a Chilis in that area in early March of last year, but was furloughed when the pandemic shuttered the business after her first week. It took her months to get approved for unemployment insurance in Florida, as the states system struggled to process the flood of applications in the early months of the crisis. By the end of summer, Salm found a job at a Walmart, after moving back in with her mother in Sarasota. But shortly after starting work there, she registered a fever during the screening the store administered to workers before they clocked in, and was sent home to quarantine. The company required a two-week, quarantine, she said, even though she had tested negative days a few days before developing the fever. AdvertisementWalmart pays employees if theyre sent home for failing a health screening, but Salm said she was unaware of the benefit, and thought shed have to go two weeks without a paycheck. She decided to quit the job and drive up the coast to go stay with a friend who had invited her to come live at her house in Upstate New York. She slept in her car along the way. She said she tried to find a job at a restaurant but couldnt. So she started taking care of her friends 81-year-old father-in-law, who had just returned from the hospital after receiving chemotherapy for throat cancer. The money takes care of her rent, groceries and some spending money. She said she may return eventually to the food service industry in Florida, where restaurant owners have complained vociferously about the worker shortage, but it will take her time. She wont be fully vaccinated until mid-June, for starters. And she wonders about getting trained and going into medical caregiving full time. AdvertisementIm trying to trust the process and hope that this all works out and theres not another spike or anything else, she said. The restaurant industry really doesnt guarantee the money that I used to make, with this pandemic. Because if it flares up again, or God forbid something happens in the restaurant, you have to close it down, youre out of work for weeks and theres nothing you can do to make money. Other than find another job.Losing the citys bestAllan Creasy, 39, had worked in restaurants and bars for more than two decades, most recently as a bartender at Celtic Crossing, an Irish bar in Memphis, where he was voted the citys best bartender three times over the years by readers of the citys alt-weekly newspaper, the Memphis Flyer. Like others, Creasy said the pandemic proved to be the tipping point for him, exacerbating long-standing labor issues in the industry and drawing attention to how low his wages were: $2.13 an hour before tips the minimum wage for tipped positions in Tennessee and at the federal level. AdvertisementAfter three months back at the bar after the initial lockdown, Creasy decided to quit and pursue a career change. I didnt come back to the same job I left previously, he said. It was very difficult to constantly have to police people about mask-wearing. It was very difficult to try to bartend and run out to the back parking lot to deliver to-go food, and to deal with Uber Eats drivers and the like, while making significantly less money than Id been making previously.And the pay had gotten worse with his income dropping from about $60,000 a year around 2011 to less than $40,000 before the pandemic, he said. Ive seen the number of people who are passionate about the restaurant industry slowly ebb away over the last 20 years, he said. In my opinion, its because the servers minimum wage hasnt changed. There is this belief that servers and bartenders are interchangeable.AdvertisementCreasy, who has a bachelors degree in history, has been doing fundraising and social media work for a local political action committee since. Hes making about the same amount of money he did at the bar but doing something that feels closer to his heart with less risk. You had so many folks working in the industry because they loved it, but now so many folks found a job in a warehouse making $15 an hour, or making as much money driving for Uber Eats, all these different businesses, he said. Its not that were on unemployment. We did our unemployment stint, and we found something else.Nathaniel Santiago, 20, who works at a McDonalds in the Fort Lauderdale area in Florida, said he believes the industrys low wages are playing a role. He had to move back in with his parents last year after losing his job at a manufacturing facility, before finding work at the fast-food chain, where he said hes making $11 an hour just $1,760 per month for full-time work, with no health care. Thats about $4 an hour below what is estimated to be a living wage for a single person with no children in that area the minimum amount calculated for a person to be able to meet basic standards of living. AdvertisementHe also believes unemployment insurance is playing a role in the shortage, saying hes heard from some friends and family members who say they are happy getting by with support from the government in the meantime. We need to pay workers $15 an hour at the moment, he said. People want to talk about inflation or that if you pay everybody $15 an hour, everything is going to get more expensive, but it already is. Food, clothing, gasoline, rent you name it.Peter DeQuattro, 36, a line cook in Memphis who recently left a job because it paid less than $15 an hour, said he thinks the pandemic has changed the paradigm for low-wage workers giving people more confidence to demand better wages. There is a growing movement of people, including myself, that just flat out refuse to work for somebody that isnt willing to pay a living wage, he said. Companies dangle bonuses, incentives, appetizersThere are signs that businesses are reacting to the shortage. Companies that pay less than $15 an hour the amount many liberal economists and labor advocates say should be a baseline to provide people with something closer to a living wage in many areas of the country are increasingly dangling incentives, bonuses and pay raises in front of workers in the hopes of staffing up. Pay is increasing in the industry as well: The median wage for nonmanagement restaurant and bar workers rose 70 cents an hour, to $14.50, in the past three months a significant 5.1 percent jump. Costco, Chipotle and McDonalds are among the publicly traded companies that have announced wage increases in recent weeks, and others, like Target, raised their wages in 2020 as the pandemic drew more attention to the plight of workers. Local media outlets have been flooded with tales of the worker shortage, written mostly from the perspective of businesses, from Santa Fe to Connecticut. A brewery in Albuquerque is offering workers a free 64-ounce growler of beer after every shift; Applebees is offering free appetizers to people who apply to jobs, as it seeks to hire thousands of workers across the country. Breslow, the owner of the staffing firm Mis en Place, knows restaurant owners who are offering bonuses as high as $3,000 to new hires, and others who are adding health insurance and 401(k) benefits to employee incentive packages. The country is scrambling to get that 33 percent, Breslow said, referring to those workers who have not returned to the industry. The leverage is unreal.Andrew Van Dam contributed to this story. GiftOutline Gift Article A little more than a year after Governor Gavin Newsom instituted the lockdowns, nearly a third of California restaurants have closed permanently. According to The Associated Press, Californias lockdowns have left the food industry battered and bruised in the Golden State. Prior to the pandemic, up to 76,000 eating and drinking establishments employed up to 1.8 million people. Those numbers dropped precipitously as the lockdowns continued throughout 2020 and into 2021. Though the state has eased restrictions over the past few weeks, about two-third of the industrys employees lost their jobs at least temporarily and employment remains a quarter below what had existed prior to the pandemic. COVID-19 has upended all of our lives, but its impacts have been felt more acutely in the restaurant industry, said Democratic state Sen. Josh Newman. It is clear that recovery will take time.Reopening the economy will likely do little to turn the tide given the labor shortage. A legislative committee in the state said that a lack of staff will be a serious impediment for restaurants as they seek to rebuild. Many restaurants are struggling to serve the customers already allowed under current capacity limits because of a lack of staff, the committee said, reported the AP. Potential employees may be able to make ends meet with unemployment and federal stimulus benefits instead of going back to work, it said in its report. Some may fear for their safety during the pandemic, while others may want more stable career paths after being repeatedly furloughed.Matthew Sutton, California Restaurant Association senior vice president for government affairs and public policy, called upon lawmakers to allocate some of the states budget to create incentives for employees to return to work. Kevin McCarney, founder and chief executive officer of Southern Californias Poquito Mas restaurant, said the recovery will take at least two to three years. In March of last year, the National Restaurant Association predicted that 11% of restaurants could be closing permanently. Hudson Riehle, the Associations senior vice president of research, said the data shows the industry is in uncharted territory.Association research found that 54% of operators made the switch to all off-premises services; 44% have had to temporarily close down. This is uncharted territory, said Riehle. The industry has never experienced anything like this before.While Gov. Gavin Newsom kept restaurants from serving food indoors and at full-capacity, he received an outpouring of criticism after photos leaked of him attending an in-person dinner at Napas luxurious French Laundry restaurant. Award-winning journalist Adam Housley a previous Emmy, AP, and RTNDA recipient claimed that the dinner had 22 guests and ran up a bar bill of over $15k. No masks were worn. Because Yountville is my hometown..and where the French Laundry is located...I thought Id do some digging. Facts about the Newsom dinner. The bar bill was around 15-thousand. 22 people in attendance, not 12. No masks. All indoors. They got so loud, other patrons complained, Housley tweeted. There was zero effort to go outside and there was no social distancing of any type. Im also told some of those there are now privately laughing at the controversy. Remember this is my little hometown. The walls speak, he added. Newsom apologized for the incident. RELATED: No Masks, All Indoors: Award-Winning Journalist Claims 22 People Attended Newsom Dinner, Not 12, $15k Bar Bill.

###CLAIM: in november, the court of appeals ruled in favor of harvard, deciding that race considerations by the ivy league schools were so extensive and meaningful that preventing racial diversity from plummeting was meaningless. ###DOCS: BOSTON (Reuters) - Opponents of policies used by universities to increase their numbers of Black and Hispanic students asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to prohibit Harvard Universitys consideration of race in undergraduate admissions in a case that could end such affirmative action programs. FILE PHOTO: General view of the United States Supreme Court Building in Washington, U.S., July 6, 2020. REUTERS/Tom Brenner/Students for Fair Admissions, a group founded by anti-affirmative action activist Edward Blum, asked the justices to hear its appeal of a lower court ruling upholding Harvards race-conscious admissions. A lawsuit backed by Blum accused Harvard of discriminating against Asian-American applicants. Blum previously backed a lawsuit by a white woman challenging the affirmative action admissions policies of the University of Texas, leading to a 2016 Supreme Court ruling upholding the consideration of race in college admissions. The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in November ruled in favor of Harvard, deciding that the Ivy League schools consideration of race was not impermissibly extensive and was meaningful because it prevented racial diversity from plummeting. A federal judge also ruled in favor of Harvard in 2019. Legal experts have said the appeal offers the Supreme Court a possible vehicle to end more than four decades of allowing race as a factor in higher education admissions. Now with a 6-3 conservative majority, the court has moved rightward since the 2016 ruling. It is our hope that the justices will accept this case and finally end the consideration of race and ethnicity in college admissions, Blum said in a statement. Affirmative action is a policy under which racial minorities historically subject to discrimination are given certain preferences in education and employment. Blums group, which includes Asian-Americans who were denied admission, argued that Harvards actions violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars racial discrimination under any program receiving federal financial assistance. Harvard in a statement said its admissions policies are consistent with Supreme Court precedent and it would defend its right to seek the educational benefits that come from bringing together a diverse group of students.Blums group sued Harvard in 2014, accusing it of impermissible racial balancing to make it easier for Blacks and Hispanics to win admission at the expense of Asian-American applicants, and did not narrowly tailor its use of race. Students for Fair Admissions separately on Thursday sued Yale University, arguing that its race-conscious undergraduate admissions practices discriminated against Asian and white applicants. The U.S. Justice Department on Feb. 3, two weeks after Democrat Joe Biden became president, dropped a similar lawsuit that had been filed against Yale by Republican former President Donald Trumps administration. Yale in a statement said it remains committed to assembling a diverse student body. It said the lawsuit resurrects the misleading statistics, factual errors, and legal misstatements that the Trump administration included in its suit.Many U.S. universities maintain affirmative action programs in admissions, arguing that having a sizable number of minorities enrolled exposes students to varied perspectives and enhances the educational experience for all students.

###CLAIM: braunwyn responded to fan questions online by writing that the family was going through a `` challenging '' time. ###DOCS: Braunwyn Windham-Burke called herself an 'alcoholic' who could 'never drink again' on the season 15 premiere Wednesday of The Real Housewives Of Orange County. The 42-year-old mother of seven made the confession to castmate Emily Simpson, 44, after a terrifying stretch of drinking made her world come crashing down. She told Emily that while in Miami for a party thrown by Kelly Dodd, 45, she had not stopped imbibing alcohol for four days, instead doing shots whenever she felt bad. Season premiere: Braunwyn Windham-Burke called herself an 'alcoholic' who could 'never drink again' on the season 15 premiere Wednesday of The Real Housewives Of Orange County'Everyone else would end their night,' Braunwyn recalled, as she was shown dancing on a bar. 'And then what no one noticed...I kept drinking. So every hour, 'cause I would start to shake, I would just keep doing a shot, a shot, a shot. I was drinking so much, I was scared I was gonna die.' Braunwyn during the episode titled An Unexpected Secret revealed that her husband Sean Burke eventually caught on and told her: 'You're going to rehab if you have one more drink.' 'He didn't know that I'd been hiding alcohol,' she conceded. 'I'd been refilling bottles. I'd been doing all the things that you know, that everyone does.' Kelly threw the party for her fiance Rick Leventhal's 60th birthday and earlier said of Braunwyn's behavior at the bash, 'Listen, I'm not gonna judge because I can get hammered myself. But this was on a whole other level. This was like Blind Date with Kim Basinger.' Drinking spree: The 42-year-old mother of seven made the confession to castmate Emily Simpson, 44, after a terrifying stretch of drinking made her world come crashing downConstant party: Braunwyn told Emily that while in Miami for a party thrown by Kelly Dodd, 45, she had not stopped imbibing alcohol for four days, instead doing shots whenever she felt bad'I have never seen Braunwyn like this,' Kelly added. In September, there were rumors that Braunwyn and her husband had split after she wrote an Instagram post about co-parenting, and her daughter Rowan, 17, posted 'F***. You. Mom.' Braunwyn responded online by writing about the challenges that families go through, asking fans for their understanding. Opening up: Emily listened as Braunwyn opened up about her drinking problemShe cut Emily out of her life last season after she repeatedly called her on her drinking and told her that she was clearly using it to cover up discomfort in social situations. 'She was the only one that could tell me the truth, and I wasn't ready to hear it,' Braunwyn reflected, as she was shown in flashback baring her breasts, and getting so drunk on a plane that she fell asleep on a strange man next to her, sinking lower and lower into his lap. 'I just feel like it's not the real you,' Emily said then, at one point urging her: 'Stop. Drinking.' Hard truth: 'She was the only one that could tell me the truth, and I wasn't ready to hear it,' Braunwyn reflected of Emily's attempt to help her last seasonAs she faced Emily during the season premiere, Braunwyn confessed, 'I am very nervous right now. Like, my heart is racing.' 'First of all, I think I need to say that I'm sorry,' she began, her face reddening and her eyes filling with tears. 'F***, I'm not saying any of this right. You called me out on my drinking last year. And instead of taking it to heart, I really pushed you away.' 'Basically, I think I just got really angry at you,' she went on. 'And then I think I came up with reasons to be mad, 'cause that was easier.' Heart racing: As she faced Emily during the season premiere, Braunwyn confessed, 'I am very nervous right now. Like, my heart is racing'Braunwyn told the cameras that she'd been drinking since she was 14, when she was living with her grandfather, 'and probably had abandonment issues from my mom or my dad.' 'Someone handed me a warm beer, and it was a peacefulness that I've never felt before,' she said. 'I drank 'til I threw up that night, and that's how I continued to drink for the majority of my life.' To Emily, she admitted, 'In my adult life, I didn't have to deal with it, because I would just have a baby again.' Teen drinker: 'In my adult life, I didn't have to deal with it, because I would just have a baby again,' Braunwyn admitted to Emily'And then you wouldn't have to deal with it, because you would be pregnant and nursing,' Emily finished for her. 'I'm honestly scared of who I am without it,' Braunwyn conceded. 'It's much easier to be the fun, crazy one than to be myself. The vulnerability part is hard for me...I don't like it.' Emily offered Braunwyn her support, and asked if she planned to stop drinking forever. Offering support: Emily offered Braunwyn her support, and asked if she planned to stop drinking forever'I don't think I can ever drink again,' Braunwyn said slowly. 'And I honestly can say that that scares the s*** out of me. But yeah, it has to be forever. And forever is so long.' She teared up in a confessional, saying, 'Feeling things is scary. Feeling all the things is petrifying. I haven't felt these things my whole life.' 'I don't know if it's divine intervention. I don't know. But for the first time in my life, I can say, ''My name is Braunwyn, and I'm an alcoholic'',' she added. Divine intervention: 'I don't know if it's divine intervention. I don't know. But for the first time in my life, I can say, ''My name is Braunwyn, and I'm an alcoholic'',' Braunwyn told the cameraThings seemed much brighter for the whole cast as the show opened, with several of them having moved into new homes and finding new love after divorce. Braunwyn herself had just moved into an 8,000-square-foot home in Newport Beach, California, closing on it in one day because she needed more space for her kids. The house had its own gym, meditation room, movie theater, playground with pirate ship and a 'nightclub' room for blacklight dancing, which boasted a sign reading 'Girls, girls, girls.' Shannon Beador, 56, was her neighbor, buying a home a block away after her previous pad sold. New neighbor: Shannon Beador, 56, was Braunwyn's neighbor, buying a home a block away after her previous pad soldShe often cooked dinner there with boyfriend John Janssen, 56, whom she'd met eight months before at a karaoke bar and had spent 'pretty much every day' with since. Between the two of them, they had six kids, with Shannon mother to Sophie, 18, Stella, 15, and Adeline, 15, and John father to Juliet, 25, Joe, 22, and Jessica. 'There's not a day that goes by where I'm not uncontrollably laughing with John,' said Shannon, who couldn't believe her luck after divorcing her ex, David Beador, 55. 'If I had to wait until I was 55 years old to experience what I'm going through right now, I would do it all over again,' she marveled, as the kids shot Silly String at each other. New guy: The show veteran often cooked dinner there with boyfriend John Janssen, 56, whom she'd met eight months before at a karaoke bar and had spent 'pretty much every day' with sinceKelly was moving into the same neighborhood as Braunwyn and Shannon, who was initially horrified by the thought. Braunwyn arranged a meeting between the two of them, hoping they would heal old wounds. Kelly said she'd felt ganged up on by Shannon, Vicki Gunvalson, 58, and Tamra Judge, 53, last season, while Shannon was upset Kelly sided with ex-RHOC husband Jim Bellino, who sued her. Candid conversation: Kelly said she'd felt ganged up on by Shannon, Vicki Gunvalson, 58, and Tamra Judge, 53, last season, while Shannon was upset Kelly sided with ex-RHOC husband Jim Bellino, who sued herThe two women did a tequila shot together, and Kelly gave Shannon a deck of cards from the game Uno, a funny nod to her being the only one of the Tres Amigas left on the show. They finally made peace, with Kelly revealing that she had bought Uno cards for herself so she could play with Shannon if needed. After her own painful 2017 divorce, Kelly was incredibly happy with her fiance Fox news reporter Rick, whom she recently married. Making up: Shannon was able to make up with Kelly after they finally talked things over'With Rick, I feel youthful,' Kelly said in a confessional. 'I feel like I could take on the world.' He looked '29' in the bedroom, she added, noting that they had sex 'sometimes three times a day'. Early in the show, the two of them visited the Balboa Island's Fun Zone with Kelly's daughter Jolie, 13. Feeling youthful: 'With Rick, I feel youthful,' Kelly said in a confessional. 'I feel like I could take on the world'Teen daughter: Early in the show, the two of them visited the Balboa Island's Fun Zone with Kelly's daughter Jolie, 13They stopped in to see the psychic who once predicted Kelly would leave ex Michael Dodd and marry again, and she told them they'd become a family. Meanwhile, Gina Kirschenheiter, 36, had also moved into a new home, in Mission Viejo, California, which she shared with new boyfriend Travis Mullen and their six kids. 'This past year has basically been a soap opera for me,' said Gina, who'd been stuck in a nasty divorce from husband Matt Kirschenheiter, 36, and been arrested for a DUI. Moving on: Meanwhile, Gina Kirschenheiter, 36, had also moved into a new home, in Mission Viejo, California, which she shared with new boyfriend Travis Mullen and their six kidsShe had gotten a restraining order against Matt in June 2019 after a domestic violence incident, and said he had been taking anger management classes. Gina was so happy with Travis she'd been eating like crazy, putting on 'love chub' that required her to do hot yoga with Kelly to lose the weight. 'It's kinda crazy how you, me and Shannon all met someone at the same time and were like, ''Oh, this is gonna be my forever person'',' Gina told Kelly. Love chub: Gina was so happy with Travis she'd been eating like crazy, putting on 'love chub' that required her to do hot yoga with Kelly to lose the weightThings were even going well for Emily, as she celebrated her 11th anniversary with Shane Simpson after they hit 'rock bottom' last season. 'I think it's my fault, because I didn't recognize that he's a great dad and a great husband,' she affirmed, telling Shane, 'Happy anniversary. Thank you for being nice.' The premiere also introduced new castmate Elizabeth Vargas, the very rich founder of Edge Music Network, whom Braunwyn called a 'takes-no-s***' human being. Anniversary celebration: Things were even going well for Emily, as she celebrated her 11th anniversary with Shane Simpson after they hit 'rock bottom' last seasonAs Braunwyn and Kelly visited her home, Elizabeth popped a champagne cork for drinks that flew into Braunwyn's recently tightened face, making her giggle. The Missouri native says she met her businessman ex Bernt Bodal - who is reportedly worth around $200 million - while performing in dinner theater during college, and claims they were together for 20 years. However, reports indicate the couple were only married for five years, divorcing in 2017. Elizabeth claimed that she had wanted a baby with her ex, however, early on in previews for the show she revealed she decided she did not want children, saying: "I chose jets and helicopters over a family." New addition: The premiere also introduced new castmate Elizabeth Vargas, the very rich founder of Edge Music Network, whom Braunwyn called a 'takes-no-s***' human beingShe also claimed her current boyfriend wouldn't have sex with her because she was still technically married, and she was 'horny all day long.' Elizabeth described her background as 'garbage-can poor,' calling her family 'country Hillbillies' and explaining that she never stopped working to escape poverty. Driving to the 10,000 square-foot property on which she was opening a dog rescue ranch, Elizabeth told her brother she would sell Edge, a streaming music business, after her divorce. Poor background: Elizabeth described her background as 'garbage-can poor,' calling her family 'country Hillbillies' and explaining that she never stopped working to escape poverty'It's crazy, coming from nothing,' she mused in a confessional. 'I'd never had anyone ever take care of me.' 'Over the years, I just lost myself being married to my ex. My marriage influenced how I walked, how I dressed, how I talked, how big my boobs were. I just became the bobblehead wife,' Elizabeth added. 'I could not stand it,' she swore. 'I'm kind of just excited to reinvent myself. I missed me.' The Real Housewives Of Orange County will return next week on Bravo.

###CLAIM: krueger, host of public television's moneytrack and founder of wealthramp. com, said on the friends and talk show: "don't you dare get me started in the financial services industry. ###DOCS: By Richard Eisenberg, Next Avenue EditorgettyA message to married and unmarried couples about managing your money: it's a two-person job. Letting just one of the two of you handle all the household's saving and investing, bill paying, insurance, wealth building and debt management is a recipe for financial trouble, especially if you're over 50. That's the big takeaway from the new "Friends Talk Money" podcast I co-host with personal finance syndicated columnist and author Terry Savage ("The Savage Truth on Money") and public television's MoneyTrack co-host and Wealthramp.com founder Pam Krueger. (You can listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts.) Money Can Be a Tender Topic for Couples"I know it's a tender topic," said Krueger on the podcast. "Sharing control of financial decisions later in life starts with finding your voice, showing an interest in the topic and asking to get involved." That's true no matter how much you two have in income or assets. In the "Friends Talk Money" episode, Krueger talked with a retired woman in New England who preferred not to reveal her real name but absolutely wanted to reveal the story of how she finally got her older husband to fill her in about their finances. The woman, who we called Kathy, owned a small business before marrying him and then selling it; it's the second marriage for both of them. Her husband (we called him Joe) had owned a successful retail chain and sold it for a lot of money; he's now retired, too. Said Krueger: "During the first few years of their marriage, [Kathy] was sort of checked out" about their finances. Then she realized she was in the dark and it started to bother her. Insisting to Her Husband They Needed a Money TalkIt finally got to the point, Krueger said, "where she just kept getting the same answer over and over and over whenever she asked questions about money." Said Kathy: "Oh my God, constantly. It was enough so that we had arguments about it because it was like, 'Oh, don't worry about it. Don't worry about it.'" Right before her husband went in for surgery, Kathy insisted on being brought into the money conversations. She worried that she'd have no idea how to take the financial reins if she needed to do so. "I'm totally dependent on him, you know? And he has children, and he has a lot of different businesses that I know nothing about," noted Kathy. "I said: 'You need to tell me exactly. It isn't fair to any of us: your kids, yourself or anything. You know, we need to have a map." After roughly a decade of not talking about their finances, Kathy and Joe finally had the long-needed money talk. Unfortunately, as I wrote in an earlier Next Avenue article, a 2018 study in the Journal of Consumer Research found that the longer couples remained together, the more the financial knowledge and literacy between them tended to diverge. Then, trouble can ensue. "As one [half of the couple] gets good and the other doesn't, we see big gaps not just in financial literacy, but in the ability to make good financial decisions on things like auto loans and investing and to read financial documents," Adrian Ward, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Texas and one of the study's co-authors, told me. Financial Organizer for CouplesIf you're half of a couple where money matters have been handled entirely by your spouse or partner, Savage suggested the two of you fill out her free, four-page Personal Financial Organizer that's on her website, Terrysavage.com. "You can actually fill it out on online and then print it out all filled out," said Savage. You might even want to do it on what Next Avenue money writer Kerry Hannon calls a "money date" with your honey. That's a monthly check-in over a nice meal and perhaps some wine (possibly take-out or delivery in your home due to the pandemic) where the two of you talk openly and calmly about your finances and financial goals. You can read more about these money dates in Hannon's piece, "Money and Your Honey: How to Schedule Personal Finance Dates." This is a particularly good time of year to start since it's tax time. That means you or your spouse or partner or ideally both of you have recently pulled together all your financial statements from banks and brokers, as well as your W-2 or 1099 tax forms for employment income. In the "Friends Talk Money" podcast episode, Bob Carroll, a partner with the financial advisory firm Carnegie Investment Counsel in Cincinnati, said he frequently sees couples with just one person dealing with their money. How Couples Can Get on the Same Money Page"Very rarely do we have joint CFOs [chief financial officers] of a family," Carroll said. "There's usually one person taking the lead on the financial front and, by and large, the non-active spouse may just kind of be in the dark a bit about personal finances when we're meeting with clients." When that happens, Carroll said, "I usually start suggesting the people be transparent around the core facts. First find out what's been done, because one of the dynamics that can build up is distrust and uncertainty over how money has been managed." Carroll told Krueger it's important for couples to realize there are no "sides." Said Krueger: "It's not your side and my side. The more you both know, you both win." My Surprise From Mr. H&R Block HRBOur podcast conversation reminded me of the day I interviewed the late Henry Bloch, CEO and founder of tax preparation giant H&R Block, when I was a writer at Money magazine back in the 1980s. After he and I finished talking, I asked Bloch how he and his wife prepare their own taxes. He replied saying that his wife didn't know anything about taxes and that he handled it. She just signed the tax forms when they were done. I couldn't believe it. Henry Bloch! Who knew as much about taxes as nearly anyone and he didn't share his knowledge with his wife for their own taxes? Krueger mentions on the podcast that a UBS poll of about 3,600 women with $1 million or more in assets found that almost 60% of them said they leave their long-term financial and investment decisions to their spouses or partners. That statistic made Savage cringe. Same here. "The point here is to reduce your financial stress and your anxiety," said Krueger. By Richard Eisenberg, Next Avenue EditorGettyRemember the line "There's an app for that!" Steve Jobs used to say? Well, that doesn't seem to be the case when it comes to personal finance advisory apps for people over 50, especially for low- and moderate-income older adults. That's my takeaway from the recent report by the nonprofit Financial Health Network, "Designing Digital Financial Advisory Tools for Low- to Moderate-Income Older Adults." And it's what my "Friends Talk Money" podcast co-hosts Terry Savage, Pam Krueger and I batted around on our latest episode (you can download it wherever you get podcasts). This report is a follow-up to the Financial Health Network's earlier one that Next Avenue wrote about, on how personal finance apps are generally failing to serve low- and moderate-income older adults. The Lack of Holistic Money AppsManaging your money wisely means organizing your finances, being smart about spending and debt and investing wisely. And there are plenty of personal finance apps and robo-advisers (automated investing apps) to help you do those. But there's another element to money management what nationally syndicated personal finance columnist Savage calls "getting help knowing what you don't know." That, she said, includes things like: How do I sign up for Medicare? When should I start claiming Social Security? How much can I afford to withdraw from my savings in retirement? And that advisory part for short-term and long-term planning needs says Financial Health Network director of behavioral economics Heidi Johnson (a Next Avenue Influencer in Aging), is where the app world is lacking. "Older adults are thinking about retirement. They want security knowing that they're going to have income that lasts. But they're also grappling with things like building up short-term savings or managing debt," she told our "Friends Talk Money" audience. "And that's where a lot of these fintech apps can potentially be meeting them." (Fintech means personal finance tech apps.) But, her report says, "very few [digital financial advisory] tools currently cater specifically to the financial needs or experiences of low- to moderate-income older adults" and most money apps "do not connect multiple components of one's financial health on a single platform. Rather, many target specific needs, leaving users on their own to connect facets of their financial lives for current and evolving circumstances." Why aren't financial services firms doing more to offer such apps and help users prioritize aspects of their financial health? "Don't get me started on the financial services industry," Krueger, co-host of MoneyTrack on public television and founder of Wealthramp.com, said on the "Friends Talk Money" podcast. What Older Low- and Moderate-Income Adults SaidFor its new report, the Financial Health Network surveyed 40 people between age 50 and 64 with household incomes under $82,000, to learn about their financial barriers and preferences for financial advice. Then, it created a prototype of a digital financial advising tool based on the feedback, to help fintech makers design their money apps. (You can watch a video of the prototype at FinHealthNetwork.org.) One thing the researchers heard loud and clear: the sense that financial advisers don't want to work with low- and moderate-income people because they aren't profitable for them. "It was kind of a pervasive thing we heard in these interviews," Johnson said. Yet these are exactly the types of people who could use financial advice. According to the Financial Health Network, only about 17% of low- and moderate-income adults 50 and older in the U.S. are financially healthy. That's about half the rate as for the general population, Johnson said. Savage noted that more than 35% of people receiving Social Security depend on its benefits for 90% of their retirement income. "They really need overall financial planning," she said. Meantime, AARP Foundation President Lisa Marsh Ryerson told me, people over 50 are using technology is growing numbers and feeling increasingly comfortable with it. How a Money Advisory App Could Work BestA recent AARP report noted that 53% of 50+ adults with smartphones use the devices for financial transactions, up from 37% in 2019, and 65% of those age 50 to 59 do. The inability to walk into financial institutions during the pandemic unquestionably explains part of this. The ideal, holistic personal finance advisory app for older low- and moderate-income adults, Johnson said, would combine digital and human help. There could be an AI chatbot asking the user questions as well as the opportunity to talk to a human for personalized advice. "Low- and moderate-income older adults are more comfortable with chatbots that support and augment human interactions, rather than replace them," the Financial Health Network report said. "It was important for us to think about ways for this kind of product to be flexible so that people could select the level of cost that would meet their needs," she noted. "So, I imagine it could be priced based on the number of interactions with a human adviser. And then, if you are able to build out that digital set of tools to be as complete as possible, that can be ultimately available at a pretty low cost." The personal finance app Albert, is a good example, said Johnson. It has a team of experts who answer questions users send via text. You tell Albert what you think is fair to pay for its service; $4 a month is the minimum amount the company says it can reasonably operate Albert, and most customers decide to pay more. A few others my "Friends Talk Money" co-hosts and I mentioned: retirement planning apps Silvur and Retirable and the financial planning app Personal Capital. Some Progress in the WorksThere does seem to be a little movement in the financial services business to provide technology offering money advice. A recent Investment News column by Nicole Casperson said "Fintech giants like Envestment are striving to provide the technology needed to facilitate this new era of financial advice and wealth management one in which everyone has personalized user experiences accessible from a smartphone." Envestment, Casperson noted, added $30 million to its operating expenses this year to help do this. Many of the people the Financial Health Network spoke with were more willing to learn about, and engage with, a new digital financial tool when it was supported by a "recognized, familiar, and accessible financial institution or organization, such as a local financial institution or nonprofit," the group's report said. Ryerson told me she thinks everyone should have access to reliable financial advisory tools to meet their needs. Seems right.

###CLAIM: leading to the arrest of two gunmen who opened fire at a home where two police officers and a newly-born baby were living. ###DOCS: ToplineAt least one gunman attacked the home of two Camden County, New Jersey police officers and their 10-day old infant earlier this week in what the police chief has since labeled a targeted attack, which came days after two Los Angeles deputy sheriffs were ambushed by gunfire in their vehicles. Three Camden County Police Department officers. AFP via Getty ImagesKey FactsThe officers and their baby were not injured in the Tuesday attack, Camden Police Chief Joseph Wysocki said at a Thursday press conference. Investigators believe two suspects, driven by a third, pulled up outside the officers Camden County home before midnight on Tuesday and sprayed bullets, with at least two piercing the front door. I do know that this was a targeted attack against this residence and the officers inside, said Wysocki, who described the couple as two really good officers who were constantly interacting with members of the community. Both officers were on leave following their childs birth on September 5the man, a four-year veteran of the county department, and the woman, a two-year member of the force (their names have not been made public). Camden County Police Department is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shootings suspects. The department did not immediately respond to questions from Forbes. Crucial QuoteIt shocks the conscience that this occurred, said Chief Wysocki. Were looking into every arrest that they have had. Were not going to leave a rock unturned.Key BackgroundThe attack on the officers home follows an attack on two Los Angeles County sheriffs deputies, who were shot while sitting in their patrol car last Saturday. Both officersone a 31-year-old woman, who is the mother of a 6-year-old boy, and the other a 24-year-old manhad to undergo surgery for their injuries. The man has been released from hospital, but the woman is still in intensive care undergoing treatment. Sheriff Alex Villanueva has cited a rising anti-police sentiment in the country following the May death of George Floyd and the ensuing months of Black Lives Matter protests. Chief CriticEvery week across the nation, someone is losing their life in the line of duty, Villanueva said. It pisses me off; it dismays me at the same time.Further ReadingTwo L.A. Sheriff's Deputies In Critical Condition After Being Shot In Apparent Ambush (Forbes)Shooting of L.A. County deputies new flashpoint in a tinderbox moment (Los Angeles Times)

###CLAIM: juless' exploration of femininity began just after high school graduation with a poem written by schafer. ###DOCS: The most ambitious, stunning moment from Euphorias second special episode came from one of its most beloved performers. Hunter Schafer, who plays Jules, shared a poem shed written with creator Sam Levinsonwhich became the inspiration for the HBO dramas second standalone episode, the colorfully titled F Anyone Whos Not a Sea Blob.In December, Euphoria debuted the first of two special episodes produced during the pandemicPart One: Rue, which finds a relapsed Rue sharing pancakes and a wrenching conversation about life with her sober sponsor, Ali (the great Colman Domingo). The stripped-down episode proved that substance always lurked beneath that glittery exteriorand provides a wonderful showcase for Zendayas astounding rawness as a performer. While most of the series seems to unfold from within a hallucinogenic, Instagram-tinged haze, Rue grounded us in the sober present as Rue seemed to embark on the journey to really, truly getting clean for the first time. F Anyone Whos Not a Sea Blob, on the other hand, is a return to form. Although the special, like the one before it, largely unfolds in a quiet settingin this case, Juless first therapy appointmentJuless narration takes us into an impressionistic dream space. As Jules explains her complicated relationship with her mother, online dating, and fantasy, and reality, she brings us inside her minda space where reality, dream, and nightmare all commingle. As the session begins, Jules is reluctant to talk about what prompted her to want to run awaya decision she made in the shows Season 1 finale. Instead, she tells her therapist that shes been thinking of going off her hormones. Basically, I feel like Ive framed my entire womanhood around men, Jules says. When, like, in reality, Im no longer interested in men. Like, philosophically, what men want... What men want is so boring and simple and not creative, and I look at myself and I think, How the fuck did I spend my entire life building this, like my body and my personality and my soul, around what I think men desire? Just like, its embarrassing. I feel like a fraud.The main thing I heard, her therapist replies, is how hard you are on yourself. The amount of self-criticism youre experiencing, its a lot... Youre not crazy, Jules. Youre just a lot harder on yourself than you probably should be.Later, Jules clarifies that shed likely just stop using her pubertal blockersand what follows is one of the episodes most evocative streams of consciousness. Ive always thought of puberty as, like, a broadening, or a deepening, or a thickening, Jules says. Which I think is why I was always so scared of it, you know, because in my head, women were always small and thin and delicate. So the thought of puberty, like this irreversible forever fucking metamorphosis, was fucking terrifying... But then I think about beautiful things that are also broad, and deep, and thick, and I think of something like the ocean.In this moment, we see Jules lying on a beach as water rushes up around her body. I think, like, I want to be as beautiful as the ocean, Jules says. Because the oceans strong as fuck and feminine as fucklike, both are what makes the ocean the ocean... Sometimes I pray to the ocean.AdvertisementAt least for me, being trans is spiritual, Jules says, as she continues to see herself walking through waves, the lighting and resolution shifting from one dream-like filter to another. You know, its not religious; its not for some congregation; its for me. Its mine. It belongs to me. And I dont ever want to stand still. I want to be alive. I mean, thats what this has always been aboutis staying alive.Juless exploration about her femininity began with a poem Schafer had written when shed just graduated high school. The actress, who, like her character, is trans, told the Los Angeles Times that shed shared the poem with Sam Levinson, who in turn used it as inspiration for the episodewhich Levinson and Schafer co-wrote. It was about this strange spiral I was having about hormone therapy and making an analogy between learning how to find beauty within yourself, Schafer told the Times of her poem. Like, rather than wanting to be as beautiful as another cis woman, wanting to be as beautiful as something even grander, like the ocean.Jules, Schafer continued, is evolving as a human and is coming to understand herself in a deeper way. Sea Blob takes an indirect approach to the questions Jules faces. This installment, in particular, feels less prescriptive than exploratory. Gender and self-expression are incredibly fluid and incredibly ever-changing, Schafer told the Times. And I think its very emotional... and psychological in a way thats outside political gender assignments of, like, male and female. Those are... not a fun way or a fruitful way to think about inhabiting your gender.AdvertisementLike Rue, which unraveled Rues struggle to find something bigger than herself to believe in through a discussion of revolution and injustice, Sea Blob takes an indirect approach to the questions Jules faces. This installment, in particular, feels less prescriptive than exploratory. But Jules will soon have to decide what role Rue can play in her life, and vice versa. As she tells her therapist, it can sometimes feel as though Rues sobriety hinges on her presencean enormous weight for any young woman to carry, and perhaps one that could prove too much in the face of everything else shes facing. The episodes gutting endingJules crying in her bed after a tearful Rue appears in her bedroomhints at the emotional struggles ahead. But as the rain pours down over Jules, its hard not to think once more about the ocean she swims in her dreams. Maybe this is just another form of movement, another evolutionperhaps not as pretty as the one we envision for ourselves, but just as necessary.

###CLAIM: that compromise was later adopted, resolving the conundrum of how to tax the plantation wealth of the south without giving outsize powers in congress to white owners by including slaves in official population counts. ###DOCS: The document counted my great-great-grandfather as three-fifths of a free person. But the Framers dont own the version we live by today. We do. The document is our responsibility now. Updated at 11:50 a.m. ET on October 5, 2020. Why do I love the U.S. Constitution? This instrument formally converted the worth of my great-great-grandfather Sidiphus into three-fifths that of a free person. Living in the East Indies as a free man, Sidiphus had been tricked into enslavementrecruited to a Georgia farm just before the Civil War by the promise of a foremanship. Had he managed to escape Georgia and bondage prior to the onset of the war, the Constitution would not have protected his God-given natural rights. Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution determined that representation in Congress and direct taxation would be apportioned to the states by adding up the whole number of free people, plus three-fifths of all other personsmeaning enslaved personsexcluding Indians not taxed. These words carried into the Constitution a compromise first formulated in 1783 in a proposed amendment to the Articles of Confederation. That compromise was later adopted in the Constitution to resolve the conundrum of how to tax the plantation wealth of the South without giving white landowners outsize power in Congress by including enslaved people in the official count of the population. Given the crime against humanity written into the Constitution because compromise was necessary to form a unionand given the sharp and unabating attention that the nations Founders and their writings have received in recent monthsI had better have a rock-solid explanation for my love of that document. Simple love of country, land of my mothers milk, wont do. My love must be sighted, not blind. Special project: The battle for the ConstitutionAs it happens, Sidiphuss God-given natural rights had been much earlier asserted by none other than Thomas Jefferson and fellow members of the drafting committee of the Declaration of Independence. They took the trouble to make this assertion in the original draft of the Declaration, when they castigated the King of England for violatingthrough his protection of the trade in enslaved peoplethe sacred rights of life and liberty of Africans who had never done him any harm. We will never know if it was Jefferson who thought up those wordswords that would take many Americans today by surpriseor another committee member, perhaps John Adams or Benjamin Franklin. Adams, from Massachusetts, never enslaved anyone and thought enslavement was wrong. Franklin, from Pennsylvania, who himself had been an indentured servant, did enslave African Americans early in his life, but he eventually abandoned the practice and became a full-throated abolitionist. Pennsylvania and Massachusetts would be the first states to abolish enslavement, in 1780 and 1783, respectively (and gradually in the case of Pennsylvania)years before the U.S. Constitution was adopted, and even before the Revolution was formally over. The Continental Congress, of course, in its revisions to the draft of the Declaration of Independence, struck out any explicit recognition of Africans human rights, postponing their protection until 1865, when the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified. Already in 1776, Benjamin Franklin could make cutting jokes about the so-called slave interest and its influence on American politics. In the July 1776 debates over the Articles of Confederation, this exchange occurred between Franklin and Thomas Lynch Jr., of South Carolina, as recorded in the Journals of the Continental Congress:lynch: If it is debated, whether their slaves are their property, there is an end of the confederation. Our slaves being our property, why should they be taxed more than the land, sheep, cattle, horses, &c.? Freemen cannot be got to work in our Colonies; it is not in the ability or inclination of freemen to do the work that the negroes do. franklin: Slaves rather weaken than strengthen the State, and there is therefore some difference between them and sheep; sheep will never make any insurrections. Franklin knew that enslaved men, women, and children were fully his equal, as capable of insurrection and revolution as he and his colleagues had been that hot July day in Philadelphia when they resolved to break away from Britain. Franklin recognized that a society built on a foundation of domination would be as unstable as the foundation itself. Eleven years later, though, Franklin was helping shore up the Great Compromise, including its buttress, the three-fifths clause, which underestimated my great-great-grandfathers worth. * In the final days of the Constitutional Convention, delegates debated whether they would convey their draft to Congress without individual endorsements or seek to have each delegate affix his signature to the document. The latter approach, which in fact played out, would amount to a pledge of commitment and ensure that dissent would die in the Conventionsworn secrets of the debates long concealed until James Madisons unofficial notes surfaced decades later. Franklin was in favor of consensus and for burying reservations. In a statement he said:Thus I consent, Sir, to this Constitution because I expect no better, and because I am not sure that it is not the best. The opinions I have had of its errors, I sacrifice to the public good. I have never whispered a syllable of them abroad. Within these walls they were born, and here they shall die. If every one of us in returning to our Constituents were to report the objections he has had to it, and endeavor to gain partizans in support of them, we might prevent its being generally received, and thereby lose all the salutary effects and great advantages resulting naturally in our favor among foreign Nations as well as among ourselves, from our real or apparent unanimity. With these words, Franklin articulated the deepest, hardest truth of free self-government. People can have the chance of self-government through the institutions of constitutional democracy if and only if they prioritize the preservation of those institutions over wins in substantive domains of policy. For this lesson, Abraham Lincoln is our foremost teacher. When union and policy commitments come into conflict, those who wish to preserve free self-government must choose union. In that spirit, Franklin chose freedom for some over freedom for none. Franklin knew that enslaved men, women, and children were fully his equal. And yet he helped shore up the Great Compromise. Yet not all compromises are good ones. And not all are necessary. To understand and embrace the centrality of compromise to the sustainability of constitutional democracy and the self-government of free and equal citizens, one needs to be able to distinguish between good and bad compromises. Both the Declaration and the Constitution (via the Bill of Rights) include another important compromise, this one not about enslavement but about religion. The Declaration simultaneously uses the languages of rationalism and of faith to establish the grounds for its moral commitment, as when it invokes the Laws of Nature and of Natures God. While the text refers to a Creator, to divine Providence, and to a Supreme Judge, it studiously avoids using the vocabulary of any specific religion or doctrine. The text is capacious. Believers and nonbelievers alike are given reason to sign on; no specific form of belief takes precedence. Similarly, the Constitutions inclusion of the protection of religious freedom and the separation of Church and state formed the structure for a profoundly valuable and durable compromise. James Madison led the argument for the provision, responding to efforts in Virginia to pass a law requiring all taxpayers to make an annual contribution or pay a moderate tax in support of churches. (Advocates of the law included some of the old lions of the Revolution, such as Patrick Henry, Edmund Pendleton, and Richard Henry Lee.) What made the compromises around religion morally legitimate and sound was that they took into account the perspectives of all those in the new country who would be affected by them. Every religious point of view present in the colonies in 1776 was conceivably embraced by the language, including those of the disenfranchised. The compromise about enslavement did not, in contrast, consider the perspective of all those affected by that decision. Standing on partial ground, it lacked moral legitimacy and would ultimately prove destabilizing for the country. From the October 2015 issue: How the Constitution caused our dysfunctional governmentYet the compromise was made, and Franklin was not the only one who understood himself to have been complicit in it. So too did James Wilson. Wilson, like Franklin, was from Philadelphia. At the Constitutional Convention, he was one of the few elder statesmen who had also signed the Declaration of Independence. (Wilson was 44; Madison was 36.) He repeatedly asserted that the work of creating the Constitution was but an extension of foundations laid by the Declaration. Wilson was Madisons equal at the Convention in terms of learning and influence. Although he was a member of the first Supreme Court, we have nonetheless all but forgotten him, presumably because he was also the first and only Supreme Court justice to go to debtors prison (as a result of failed land speculations). He died of a stroke while fleeing the reach of the law. Whereas Franklin was an enslaver in the earlier parts of his life, Wilson was an enslaver for much of his life. Even while publicly writing and speaking against enslavement, he owned a man named Thomas Purcell for 26 years. However, two months after marrying a Quaker woman, Hannah Gray, he emancipated Purcell, an act often attributed to Grays influence. Like Franklin, Wilson fully understood the nature of the compromise in the Constitution, and was prepared to accept it. No such thing was intended ... Under the present Confederation, the states may admit the importation of slaves as long as they please; but by this article, after the year 1808, the Congress will have power to prohibit such importation, notwithstanding the disposition of any state to the contrary. I consider this as laying the foundation for banishing slavery out of this country; and though the period is more distant than I could wish, yet it will produce the same kind, gradual change, which was pursued in Pennsylvania ... A tax or duty may be imposed on such importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each person; and this, sir, operates as a partial prohibition; it was all that could be obtained. I am sorry it was no more; but from this I think there is reason to hope, that yet a few years, and it will be prohibited altogether. The best, then, that can be said about the compromises regarding slavery that also helped the Constitutional Convention achieve unanimity is this: Those who knew enslavement was wrong but nonetheless accepted the compromises believed they were choosing a path that would lead inexorably, if incrementally, to freedom for all. We cannot, however, assume with Wilson and Franklin and others like them that incrementalism was the only available path to freedom for all. It is also not clear that the Constitutions compromises even accelerated the march of freedom, whether for enslaved people or for people more generally. Britain offers a natural experiment with which to make judgments about alternative paths. Revolutionary ideas were afoot there too in the 1770s and 80s. Universal suffrage for men was proposed in Parliament for the first time in 1780 by Charles Lennox, the third Duke of Richmond, an ardent supporter both of the American revolutionaries and of radicals in Britain. Yet at home, in the British Isles, the Crown managed to fend off the revolution it could not defeat in 13 of its colonies. This, however, did not result in the permanent nonfreedom of British subjects. A British legal judgment in 1772 introduced a doctrine against selling enslaved people abroad, a doctrine that was commonly though erroneously thought to mean that no one could be held as a slave on English soil. In de facto fashion it reduced enslavement in Britain and redirected the attention of abolitionists to enslavement in the British colonies. In 1793, Upper Canadain essence, the region just north of the Great Lakespassed the Act to Limit Slavery, the first law of its kind in the remaining British colonies. Britain itself in 1833 passed the Slavery Abolition Act, dismantling enslavement throughout its Caribbean colonies and making Canada a free land for African Americans who escaped slavery in the U.S. The law helped make possible the Underground Railroad, the fights about the Fugitive Slave Act, and the dynamics that eventually led to the Civil War. As to universal manhood suffrage, there the United Kingdom moved slowly. In 1832, Britain introduced the first of what would eventually be three 19th-century Reform Acts. This act had different rules for those living in counties versus towns. In towns, men who occupied property with an annual rent of at least 10 pounds could vote. That still left six out of seven men without voting rights. Britain adopted another reform measure in 1867 and one more in 1884. The third Reform Act gave the vote to all male house owners and all males paying rent of 10 pounds or more a yearleaving out 40 percent of men and of course 100 percent of women. These changes were accomplished without a bloody internal war. The U.S. gave the vote to all male citizens regardless of skin color or former condition of servitude only with the Fifteenth Amendment, in 1870. Until that point, African Americans as well as some white men in states that made tax payment a prerequisite had been denied the right to vote. These changes required a bloody civil war, and even they were still partial. Pennsylvania and Rhode Island maintained tax-paying qualifications into the 20th century; women and Native Americans did not yet have suffrage. In both Britain and the United States, true universal suffrage was not adopted until well into the 20th century, and fights for voting rights persist. In other words, the Constitution did not earn an earlier release from bondage or promote universal suffrage for men much faster than was accomplished under Britains constitutional monarchy. Nor much faster than was achieved in Canada, a country we can look to for an answer to the question of what might have happened had the North American colonies that came to form the United States failed in their bid for freedom. What did accelerate the march of freedom for all was abolitionism, a social movement that crystallized in both the United States and the United Kingdom in the years immediately following the revolutionary break between the two. Moral leadership made this difference. Freedom flows from the tireless efforts of those who proclaim and pursue protection of the equal human dignity of all. So why, then, do I love the Constitution? I love it for its practical leadership. I love it because it is the worlds greatest teaching document for one part of the story of freedom: the question of how free and equal citizens check and channel power both to protect themselves from domination by one another and to secure their mutual protection from external forces that might seek their domination. Why do we have three distinct aspects of powerlegislative, executive, and judicialand why is it best to keep them separate and yet intermingled? A typical civics lesson skates over the deep philosophical basis for what we glibly call separation of powers and checks and balances. Those concepts rest on a profound reckoning with the nature of power. The exercise of power originates with the expression of a will or an intention. The legislature, the first branch, expresses the will of the people. Only after the will is expressed can there be execution of the desired action. The executive branch, the second branch, is responsible for this. The judiciary comes third as a necessary mediator for addressing conflicts between the first and second branches. The three elements of powerwill, execution, and adjudicationare separated to improve accountability. It is easier to hold officials accountable if they are limited in what they are permitted to do. In addition, the separation of powers provides a mechanism by which those who are responsible for using power are also always engaged in holding one another accountable. James Madison, in The Federalist Papers, a series of newspaper opinion pieces written by Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay in 1787 and 1788 in support of the proposed Constitution, put it this way:If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: You must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place, oblige it to control itself. A dependence on the people is no doubt the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions. To ensure that power could be held accountable, the designers of the Constitution broke power into its component parts. They assigned one power to each of three branches. Then they developed rules and procedures that would make it possible for officers in each branch to not only exercise their own powers but also, to some extent, check and counterbalance the use of power by others. The point of giving each branch ways of slowing down the other branches was to ensure that no branch would be able to dominate and consolidate complete power. The rules and procedures they devised can also be called mechanismsprocedures that in themselves organize incentives and requirements for officeholders so that power flows in good and fair ways. We all use mechanisms to limit power and achieve fairness in our ordinary lives. A good example is the kind of rule parents use for helping children share desserts. If Ive got a cake, and I need to divide it up between two children, the easiest way for me to achieve a fair outcome is if I let one child slice while the other child gets first pick. The child who slices has an incentive to slice as fairly as possible, knowing that the second child will surely choose the bigger slice if the slices are not equal. Parenting books do not generally cite Federalist No. 51, in which Madison advised, Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.I muck the stalls. I find a diamond. I clean it off and keep it. I do not abandon it because of where I found it. The U.S. Constitution is full of mechanisms like this to structure the incentives of officeholders to make sure power operates in fair ways. Here is a smattering of my favorite examples, courtesy of the identification in The Federalist Papers of the highest and best features of the Constitution:Each branch should have as little agency as possible in the appointment of the members of the other, which means no branch can surreptitiously come to control another by populating its personnel and staff. Each branch should be as little dependent as possible on the others for emoluments annexed to their offices, which means no branch falls under the sway of another by virtue of hoping for a raise. No double-office holding is permitted, which means that trying to play a role in more than one branch at the same time is strictly off-limits. The executive has a veto over legislation, but it can be overruled by a two-thirds vote in each house of Congress, which means that an executive decision (on legislation) emanating from support of a bare majority of the people cannot overrule a view emanating from a supermajority of the country. **The executive can propose the draft of treaties, but ratification requires senatorial advice and consent, which prevents treaties from being struck as personal deals with benefits to the executive and thereby hinders corruption. The Senate must approve Supreme Court appointments made by the president, but the Court has the power of review over laws passed by Congress, which means Congress can be overruled by justices to whose appointment the legislative branch has itself consented. The Constitution is the law of the land and establishes powers of enforcement, but it can be changed through a carefully articulated amendment process, by the peoples standing legislative representatives or by representatives to conventions especially elected for the purposewhich means the final power always rests with the people. I delight in the cleverness of these mechanisms. There are many more. Instituting a bicameral legislaturehaving a Senate and a House of Representativesis itself a check on monolithic legislative power. I marvel at the Constitutions insight into the operations of power. I respect the ambition of the people who sought to design institutions and organize the government with the goal of ensuring the safety and happiness of the people. I see its limits, but I love its avowalby stipulating the process for amendment, to date exercised 27 timesof its own mutability. Remarkably, the Constitutions slow, steady change has regularly been in the direction of moral improvement. In that regard, it has served well as a device for securing and stabilizing genuine human progress not only in politics but also in moral understanding. This is what figures like Franklin and Wilson anticipated (or at least hoped for). It would be a mistake to think that Britains own slow march toward the expansion of freedom was in no way prodded along by the example across the Atlantic and domestic pressures flowing from that example, just as Britains earlier abolition of enslavement generated pressures that drove the march of freedom forward here at home. The Constitution is a work of practical genius. It is morally flawed. The story of the expansion of human freedom is one of shining moral ideals besmirched by the ordure of ongoing domination. I muck the stalls. I find a diamond. I clean it off and keep it. I do not abandon it because of where I found it. Instead, I own it. Because of its mutability and the changes made from generation to generation, none but the living can own the Constitution. Those who wrote the version ratified centuries ago do not own the version we live by today. We do. Its ours, an adaptable instrument used to define self-government among free and equal citizensand to secure our ongoing moral education about that most important human endeavor. We are all responsible for our Constitution, and that fact is empowering. That hard-won empowerment is why I love the Constitution. And it shapes my native land, which I love also simply because it is my home. The second love is instinctual. The first comes with open eyes. * This article originally implied that the adoption of the three-fifths clause constituted the Great Compromise. The Great Compromise was a broader agreement. ** The article also stated that the executive veto of legislation can be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the Senate. An override requires a two-thirds vote by both houses of Congress.

###CLAIM: he began meeting with undercover fbi employees and other law enforcement individuals to discuss the devotion to the islamic insurgency. ###DOCS: An Illinois man will spend up to 162 months in prison for conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State, the Department of Justice announced. Edward Schimenti, 39, was given the 13.5-year sentence Friday after being convicted in 2019 on one count of conspiring to provide material support and resources to ISIS and one count of making false statements to the FBI. Schimenti advocated for violent extremism in support of ISIS on social media, according to the Justice Department. In 2015, he began meeting with undercover FBI employees and other individuals who were working with law enforcement, discussing his devotion to ISIS during the meetings. TENNESSEE MAN ARRESTED AFTER PUBLICIZING PRO-ISIS MEDIA, AUTHORITIES SAYSchimenti also furnished cellphones to one of those cooperating with authorities in 2017, which he believed would be used to detonate explosive devices in ISIS attacks overseas, the Justice Department said. Schimenti drove with the cooperating individual to OHare International Airport in Chicago on April 7, 2017, under the impression that the person would be traveling to Syria to fight with ISIS. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINERSchimentis co-defendant, Joseph Jones, 39, was convicted of a conspiracy charge and sentenced in March to 12 years in prison.

###CLAIM: exxon has named three new directors since february, including former petronas executives wan, zulkiflee and ariffin. ###DOCS: [1/2] An Exxon sign is seen at a gas station in the Chicago suburb of Norridge, Illinois, U.S., October 27, 2016. REUTERS/Jim YoungMarch 15 (Reuters) - The activist investor leading a proxy fight to reshape Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N) on Monday named the four directors it wants shareholders to remove at the oil company's upcoming annual general meeting. The investor, Engine No. 1, is a small fund that last year took on the top U.S. oil producer for what it said was poor financial returns and a lagging approach to cleaner fuels. Exxon since has vowed to cut its debt, invest more in low-carbon initiatives, and improve returns. read moreThe fund singled out for removal three former chief executives of prominent U.S. companies and the former head of Malaysia's state-run oil firm who joined the board last month. Its nominees for the board include a former U.S. Energy Department official and an executive at a wind turbine developer-manufacturer. Exxon has named three new directors since February, including Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin, the former CEO of Malaysia's Petronas. read moreEngine No. 1, which counts pension fund California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS),among its supporters, asked shareholders to vote against the re-election of former MetLife CEO Steven Kandarian, former Caterpillar CEO Douglas Oberhelman, former IBM CEO Samuel Palmisano, and Wan Zulkiflee. The three U.S. executives "have destroyed shareholder value and generated significant long-term risk for investors," Engine No. 1 said in a statement. Wan Zulkiflee, who was appointed to Exxon's board last month after Engine No. 1 launched its campaign, "is not as relevant for a public company in need of transformative and successful energy experience," the fund said. A spokesperson declined comment beyond its statement. "We categorically disagree with Engine No. 1s assertions about our board, including the directors they have targeted," said Exxon spokesman Casey Norton. A board committee considered Engine No. 1's candidates and ruled them out, his statement added. Exxon directors "have experience leading some of the worlds largest, most complex and successful companies and bring to the board a wide range of backgrounds, knowledge and skills relevant to the companys business and future direction unlike the Engine No. 1 candidates." The activist fund nominees include Gregory Goff and Anders Runevad, former chief executives of oil refiner Andeavor and wind-turbine manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems (VWS.CO), respectively; Kaisa Hietala, former head of renewable fuels at Finish refiner Neste (NESTE.HE); and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Energy for efficiency and renewable energy, Alexander Karsner. Reporting by Shariq Khan in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra EluriOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

###CLAIM: on control of yield curve, the rba, blunting the economic shock of the coronavirus pandemic, announced a program to keep government bond yields at 10 percent for three years. ###DOCS: Summary RBA leaves cash rate at all-time low 0.1%Upgrades forecasts for economic growth, unemploymentTo consider extension of QE programme in July meetingReiterates lower-for-longer rate viewSYDNEY, May 4 (Reuters) - Australia's central bank left its key rates at near zero for a fifth straight meeting on Tuesday and pledged to keep policy super loose for a prolonged period even as the economy recovers at a rapid pace from the COVID-19-led downturn. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) reiterated its commitment to keep the cash rate at the record-low of 0.1% for as long as is needed to pull down unemployment and push inflation higher. The RBA's as-expected decision comes as it painted a rosy picture of the A$2 trillion ($1.55 trillion) economy, and upgraded the growth forecast to 4.75% over 2021, from its February forecast of 3.5%. The jobless rate is seen declining to be around 5% at the end of this year and 4.5% at Dec-2022. In February, the RBA's forecast had unemployment at 5.5% by end-2022. "The economic recovery in Australia has been stronger than expected and is forecast to continue," RBA Governor Philip Lowe said in a short post-meeting statement. "A pick-up in business investment is expected and household spending will be supported by the strengthening in balance sheets over the past year," Lowe said. Still, the RBA signalled it's not ready to raise rates until 2024 at the earliest, falling in line with major central banks who are willing to run their economies hot to fire up inflation, which has been elusive for years. "The RBA...remains fearful of tightening monetary policy too soon, due to concerns about stifling the economic recovery," said Anthony Doyle, cross asset specialist at Fidelity. The central bank, which said it places a high priority on a return to full employment, will release detailed economic forecasts on Friday at 0130 GMT. HOUSING BOOMIn a bid to blunt the economic shock from the coronavirus pandemic last year, the RBA cut interest rates three times, announced a yield curve control (YCC) programme to keep three-year government bond yields at 10 basis points and launched a massive quantitative easing programme targeting longer term bonds. Its current A$100 billion ($77.40 billion) quantitative easing programme ends in September and the board will consider future bond purchases at its July board meeting. The RBA's efforts are being supplemented by Australia's federal government which has ditched its long-held obsession with creating budget surpluses and has promised to not take "any sharp pivots towards austerity" in its Budget update on May 11. Solid monetary and fiscal stimulus have lit a fire in Australia's property market where prices are hitting record highs, largely led by demand from owner-occupiers and first-home buyers. But official data on loan approvals out on Tuesday showed investors too were rushing back in to the market. "Should investor activity further lift, that would add to the potential for macro-prudential regulation in the sector given prior comments that strong investor activity has the potential to amplify the housing cycle," said Tapas Strickland, Sydney-based economist for National Australia Bank. The RBA noted the price rise and said it was carefully monitoring trends in housing borrowing. ($1 = 1.2920 Australian dollars)Reporting by Swati Pandey; Editing by Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

###CLAIM: when officers arrived at the home, they found four people dead, apparently from gunshot wounds. ###DOCS: Four people were killed Sunday in a shooting in a suburban neighborhood of southeastern Portland, police said. Officers responded to a call from a residence in the 4000 block of Southeast Boise Street, around 10:25 p.m. When they arrived at the home, police said the officers found four people deceased from apparent gunshot wounds. Portland Police homicide detectives were called to the scene and are investigating the case. Autopsies are pending to determine a cause and manner of death. MORE THAN TWO DOZEN ANTIFA RIOTERS CHARGED FOR PORTLAND MAYHEMThe relationship of the four deceased was not immediately clear. Investigators are looking into the possibility that the shooting was drug-related, a source with knowledge on the matter but not authorized to talk, told The Oregonian newspaper. Police have not released additional details on the identities of the deceased or information on possible suspects. No arrests have been made in the shooting. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPAnyone with information on the matter is being asked to contact detective Michael Greenlee at Michael.Greenlee@portlandpolice.gov or 503-823-0871, or Detective Brad Clifton at Brad.Clifton@portlandpolice.gov or 503-823-0696.

###CLAIM: since last year the 19 pandemic has exacerbated the risk of cyberattacks as many federal employees work remotely with less secure security systems. ###DOCS: Specifically, the GAO is examining whether the security of the State Departments information technology systems meet federal requirements and how State manages and responds to cybersecurity threats. The hacking campaign was at least the third known Kremlin-backed breach on the departments email server in under a decade. Russian hackers also managed to penetrate State Department networks in 2014 and 2015. The then-National Security Agency deputy director said officials there engaged in hand-to-hand combat to secure States emails in 2014. Experts also fear the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the cybersecurity risk because many federal employees have been working remotely, on less secure systems, since last year. The recent State Department email thefts occurred simultaneous to the infamous SolarWinds attack a wide-reaching espionage campaign by suspected state-sponsored Russian hackers that targeted federal and private entities via a vulnerability in a commonly used computer software. But the GAO letter says it still needs key documents from the department to understand the departments IT systems and networks and analyze their implementation.The information also is needed to determine, among other things, the capability of the systems and networks to monitor, identify, discover, and respond to cybersecurity events and incidents, the officials wrote. State has resisted handing over some materials, according to the letter, arguing they are outside of GAOs scope. The Department is aware of the recent GAO request and is working to respond, said a State Department spokesperson. GAO has given State a deadline of April 9 to hand over nearly 50 outstanding documents, including complete inventory lists of all software and hardware assets used domestically and at U.S. embassies and other posts, an inventory list of all applications/data that have been migrated to the cloud environment, and a list of all incidents reported by State to the Department of Homeland Securitys Computer Emergency Readiness Team in 2019, 2020, and 2021. The most recent document request was sent on March 12, for a copy of the last three cybersecurity daily briefs received by the departments Chief Information Officer.

###CLAIM: [12] two california cities have passed local laws mandating that companies give frontline workers raises in hazard pay. ###DOCS: Although large employers have sung the praises of the retail, grocery, health care, delivery and other workers deemed "essential" during the pandemic, they've generally resisted raising the pay of this mostly low-wage workforce. Oxnard, California, is trying to buck that trend. The city of 200,000 is giving a $1,000 bonus to every essential worker who was employed at least three months during the health crisis. About 1,700 workers will receive the "gratitude pay," according to the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770, which represents about 450 affected workers. "It was very scary, not knowing who was going to be sick, if someone was going to be sick," said Lucy Gilbertson, a deli worker at supermarket Vons and Local 770 member. "Now I feel like we didn't just work through the pandemic and risk our lives for nothing." The 46-year old single mother worked through the pandemic while overseeing remote schooling for her 14-year-old son, and plans to spend the $1,000 bonus catching up on bills and preparing her son for high school, she told CBS MoneyWatch. Becky Ayala, another Vons worker, told the city council that she struggled with higher rent during the crisis and that the money would be "a big help." Two dozen California cities have passed local laws mandating companies give their frontline workers "hazard pay" raises during the pandemic. But Oxnard won't require employers to pony up their own funds. Instead, the city is putting about $2.5 million of federal funding from the American Recovery Plan toward the bonuses. Using federal money means workers could get the funds quicker and would protect Oxnard from employer lawsuits that typically accompany city-mandated minimum-wage hikes, the city's housing director, Emilio Ramirez, explained in a presentation last month. Oxnard's city council voted for the plan unanimously. The lone Republican on the council said he was comfortable with the raises because they would come out of federal funding, according to the Washington Post. More states could followAt least two states are gearing up to follow Oxnard's lead. Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont has proposed allocating $22.5 million in federal funds toward bonuses for nursing-home employees and frontline state employees. Grocery and fast-food workers in the state are calling for a share of the funds as well. The Kansas legislature also is considering a bill to boost pay with the federal funds, for frontline workers making less than $25 an hour. "Despite all of the reasons for Kansans to feel hopeful that the end of the pandemic is in sight, essential businesses and employees are near the end of their rope," the bill's sponsor, Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, wrote in an editorial. Worker advocates describe the American Rescue Plan as the last, best chance for local politicians to give raises to workers who've been overlooked by both Congress and their employers. The U.S. Department of Treasury recently said that states and cities were allowed to use federal aid to offer essential workers higher pay, noting that they "have and will bear the greatest health risks because of their service in critical infrastructure sectors." "Moral indignity"Since the coronavirus pandemic broke out, confining many Americans to their homes, the workers who have sustained them preparing and delivering food, staffing health care facilities or cleaning buildings have seen an outpouring of public gratitude. What they haven't seen is more generous paychecks. "It's a moral indignity in this country," Molly Kinder, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, told CBS MoneyWatch. "Most high-paid workers have been able to work from home through this pandemic, and most frontline workers have not had that luxury. They've been putting their families' lives at risk," she said. Essential workers are overwhelmingly low-paid: About half of the 44 million workers earning less than $15 an hour, or about $30,000 a year, are in "essential" occupations, Kinder's research shows. And while many of these workers received temporary pay bumps in the first few months of the pandemic, those raises petered out early on. Meanwhile, large grocery stores and retailers raked in record profits and repurchased millions of dollars in stock, boosting income for their shareholders and executives. "By and large, those companies were not passing money down to the employees," Kinder said. "Even when risks are elevated and there's so much public goodwill toward these workers, only a minority of employers stepped up and really meaningfully increased hazard pay." And when employers were forced to raise pay, some fought such increases tooth and nail. The California Grocers Association has sued a number of California cities that imposed to impose minimum-pay hikes. Kroger, the nation's largest supermarket chain, said earlier this year it would close two Long Beach, California, supermarkets rather than pay higher wages mandated by the city. The California Grocers' Association did not respond to a request for comment. Corporate welfare? Still, while many people view higher pay for frontline workers as a necessity, some say that using taxpayer funds for raises sends the wrong message to reluctant employers. "Using federal funds instead of requiring businesses to raise wages is another example of corporate welfare," one worker posted on Facebook, in response to Local 770's announcement of the Oxnard deal. "How do we ask for higher wages during the next contract if big business got municipalities to pick up the tab this time?" Another worker from Los Angeles wrote, "Congratulations! Now do my store next. We all feel forgotten at the store I work at." Brookings' Kinder sees back pay for frontline workers as a necessary "down payment" for raising the federal minimum wage, which remains stuck at $7.25 and was last raised in 2009. "I look at this as a societal decision: Are we going to do more than just applaud?" she said. "If we come out of this situation, and not only did these workers not get a pay bump when their lives are at risk ... and we don't raise the minimum wage overall, then we have absolutely squandered this opportunity." Listen Comment on this story Comment Gift Article ShareA city in Southern California is using stimulus money to get hazard pay bonuses into the pockets of essential workers. In Oxnard, a city of about 208,000 northwest of Los Angeles, the city council unanimously approved a measure last week to give anyone who worked at least three months in a grocery store or pharmacy during the first 12 months of the coronavirus pandemic a $1,000 bonus. City officials and labor leaders said the program in the city was the first of its kind in the country. The measure would use $2.5 million in stimulus money allocated to the city by the American Rescue Plan, which Democrats in Congress passed, and President Biden signed, in March. We worked through the whole pandemic. We got up every day and came into work. A lot of us never called out sick we put ourselves on the line, said Lucy Gilbertson, a clerk at a Vons grocery store in Oxnard. This is showing the gratitude for what we did through the pandemic.The measure makes Oxnard the latest city on the West Coast to institute hazard pay for essential workers, after companies canceled the benefit early in the pandemic. AdvertisementCities like Long Beach and Oakland in California and Seattle passed mandates that companies reinstate a hazard bonus for front-line workers, usually about $4 to $5 an hour extra, following a spike in coronavirus cases and outcry from worker advocates and unions. Those measures drew sharp pushback from business groups and grocery chains like Kroger, which closed some stores in response. In March, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by grocery industry groups against the city of Seattle over the ordinance. Oxnard council members had explored those types of mandates but decided to use federal funds once they realized there was a mechanism in the stimulus law for doing such a thing, according to a councilman, Bryan MacDonald. Oxnards decision avoids the confrontation between grocery store companies and officials that have taken place in other cities. It will also be quicker to institute and reach more workers, like those in smaller stores, officials said. AdvertisementThis was a good alternative to reach many more people, because had we done an ordinance, we probably would have looked at doing some of these chain retail stores that have at least 200 employees, said Vianey Lopez, the councilwoman who proposed the measure. The proposal also drew the support of MacDonald, the lone Republican on the city council, who said he heard from grocery companies that they did not have issues with it. If were going to use federal money that theyre giving to us to restart programs and the economy, or say thank you to the front-line workers, because grocery stores cant just close and leave people hungry philosophically, I am okay with that, he said. Lopez said city officials had not determined yet how Oxnard would disburse the bonus. Kroger did not respond to a request for comment. AdvertisementLabor leaders have hailed the effort, estimating at least 750 workers in Oxnard would be eligible for the bonus. They are pushing for other cities to follow the model, as well. Essential workers in grocery stores and pharmacies have bravely put their health at risk daily throughout the pandemic to ensure our families have the food, essential supplies, and vaccine access we need, said Marc Perrone, the president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, in a statement. The UFCW is urging all governors and local leaders in all 50 states to follow Oxnards lead by ensuring this state pandemic aid is used to provide covid premium pay and recognize the extraordinary sacrifices made by those on the front lines.Becky Ayala, who is employed by Vons grocery as a barista at an in-house Starbucks, said the money was a welcome bonus after the constant pressures of the last year. Ayalas paycheck supports her 73-year-old brother, who is sick with cancer, her daughter and a granddaughter. Ayala had been terrified of bringing home the virus to her brother. She never got covid but said she saw a lot of workers come down ill.AdvertisementShe said she would use the money to help pay for her brothers medical treatments and catch up on other household expenses. Everybody has been through different things, with different financial burdens, she said. They all acquired different debts, different things like that. Bills that have acquired mine is basically rent and being behind on other bills.Although she and her family are vaccinated, she does not feel like the virus is a distant threat yet. We still have to worry about it, she said. To protect everyone else, when I come home, I will still take extra precautions.GiftOutline Gift Article

###CLAIM: as factory production continues to drop, manufacturers resort to creative ways of coping and keeping operations and operations running. ###DOCS: CEO of Neurala, a deep learning neural network software company, and founding director of the Neuromorphics Lab at Boston University. gettyAs Sophocles is credited with first saying, "Old age and the passage of time teach all things." The twelve months span between March 2020 and March 2021 were some of the most painful months in recent history. From lockdowns and supply chain disruption to product shortages and social distancing, few industries have felt the heat of the past year more than manufacturing. While some of us were lucky enough to be able to work from home and weather out the storm, manufacturers could not. Instead, they had to find new, radical ways to do the same or more with less. But, as the Romans used to point out, Mater artium necessitas, or "necessity is the mother of invention." In March 2020, the necessity was for "lights-out manufacturing" to become more of a reality. There was a need for fully automated facilities that could operate without human intervention. But unfortunately, they were nowhere to be found; and this realization drove action. The reality was that production still relied heavily on increasingly sparse and hard-to-find skilled labor. Regions such as the United States, in particular, struggled the most, with the skill gap anticipated to leave 2.1 million jobs unfilled by 2030 costing the U.S. economy as much as $1 trillion. As production in factories continued to plummet, manufacturers had to resort to creative ways to cope and keep operations up and running. They were forced go back to the drawing board, and contrary to their tradition reconsider embedding more of these technologies into their processes and machines. Back in 2020, the question was: What automation can I inject into my processes to make a difference today? Manufacturers were not focused on long-term automation and robotic projects that would see deployment five to ten years into the future, but rather those that were tangible, could produce a quick ROI and move the needle in a matter of weeks. The lower-hanging fruit became injecting AI into inspection processes. This solution meant AI was no longer a nice-to-have, but rather a technology ripe for deployment and adoption. With the help of AI, manufacturers could improve inspections by automatically tracking defective production. Producing defective items has never been an option for manufacturers, but in 2020 this issue was compounded by a more sparsely populated production floor and disrupted, sometimes newly acquired, supply chains. Adopting AI by multiplying the "number of eyes" looking at the line was a means to maintain customer satisfaction, reduce recalls, minimize waste, increase production yield and improve manufacturers overall bottom line in a time of dire need. But even with vision AI ready for deployment, several other challenges lie ahead before manufacturers can truly become AI powerhouses. First and foremost as I previously touched on is the skills gap. The decreasing availability of workforce coupled with the desire for friendly and intuitive software means that manufacturers need to consider the ease-of-use of the AI solution provider. Any AI software that is hard to use or requires deep AI expertise will most likely fall by the wayside. Another obstacle is data. AI and deep learning demand large amounts of balanced data to operate. This is an obvious and potentially show-stopping proposition for manufacturers that produce mostly high-quality products with only the occasional defect there is simply not any "bad" data to train the algorithms. There are some solutions on the market that may accommodate (or mitigate) this issue, but they too are few and far between. Lastly is the issue of cost. At the end of the day, manufacturers are in business, and the goal of any business is to make money. From cameras and lenses to industrial PC and software licenses, implementing AI and automation adds up. This means that flexible, software-only solutions that are able to work with existing hardware will be the key to minimizing costs and enabling the pervasive adoption of AI and automation in factories. While 2020 was a trying year for the manufacturing industry, it helped legacy machines and systems become more robust and streamlined and has even proven the business case for AI. These solutions have made it easier for manufacturers to retrofit existing hardware by simply adding AI as a "software update" on top of existing infrastructures. The factory of 2021 and beyond will we all hope face an easier time. From now on, it will exhibit a more balanced division of labor between humans, AI and machines working synergistically to power the next wave of manufacturing. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?

###CLAIM: they say many of the precautions including regular use of hand cleansing products, avoiding crowds and remaining outdoors are for testing. ###DOCS: Some cheaters are looking forward to the coronavirus vaccine. Thats what a new survey from the affair-arrangement dating site Ashley Madison is suggesting, which says four out of 10 cheaters would like to receive a COVID-19 vaccine so they can responsibly continue having in-person affairs.In a sample of 2,400 Ashley Madison members, 31 percent said they are excited about coronavirus vaccines as well as decreased social restrictions in 2021. In the midst of the global COVID-19 lockdowns, we asked our members if they were still going on dates with their affair partners. Many said they were, but noted they took precautions including regularly using hand sanitizer, avoiding crowds, remaining outdoors and getting tested, Ashley Madisons chief strategy officer, Paul Keable, told Fox News. To receive the COVID-19 vaccine would add another layer of protection, allowing our members to continue safely carrying out these affairs.Keable also went on to explain that Ashley Madison users say they use extramarital affairs as a form of self-care that helps them get through stressful or uncertain times. Other users claim cheating helps them avoid divorce. With a potential solution to a seemingly never-ending pandemic within our reach and infidelity proving itself to be instrumental in lasting marriages, it would make sense that many of our members would want to receive the vaccine, Keable added. In a separate report titled Love Beyond Lockdown, Ashley Madison found that 41 percent of self-identified cheaters sought out their first affair due to boredom under shelter-in-place orders. Another 40 percent said the pandemic reminded them that life is short.Moreover, 63 percent of Ashley Madison members said they partook in an affair just as much or more often than they did in 2019. In an anonymous testimonial sent to Ashley Madison, a female user told the dating site:There was nothing about a 24/7 lockdown in my wedding vows. My husband and I get along great, but its stressful for anyone to be around your spouse this much. Even though we have a good relationship, he cant fulfill me the way I need to be, so quarantine has actually made me want to connect with outside partners even more so than beforehand.

###CLAIM: the family was placed under supervision after finding two of the children had bruising likely from a belt. ###DOCS: A father has been sentenced to at least 78 years in jail after pleading guilty to stabbing his three children to death. Luis Fuentes, 38, was handed a term of 78 years to life in a Los Angeles court on Tuesday for stabbing sons Luis, 10, Juan, nine, and Alexander, eight, to death in 2015. The boys were found in the back of an SUV in September that year, where they had been living with their father for several months after the family fell on hard times following the sudden death of Fuentes' wife and the boys' mother in 2008. Fuentes was found slumped over the steering wheel, having passed out from self-inflicted stab wounds. Luis Fuentes, 38, has been sentenced to 78 years to life after pleading guilty to stabbing his sons - Luis, 10, Juan, nine, and Alexander, eight - to death in 2015Luis, Juan and Alexander were found dead in the back of an SUV where they had been living for several months, while Fuentes was found unconscious from self-inflicted stab woundsWhile Fuentes has not spoken at length in public since the stabbings, records released in court show a life marked by tragedy, culminating in extreme violence. Fuentes' own father was killed when he was aged five, the LA Times reported, and his mother died when he was 17, leaving him to raise his siblings by himself. Having emerged from a traumatic childhood, he went on to marry and have three children of his own. But tragedy struck again in 2008, when wife Maria died suddenly of a brain aneurysm. A babysitter close to the family recalled her as 'a very special person'. The death left Fuentes - a meat factory worker - single-handedly raising a family for the second time, while trying to deal with the grief of his wife's passing. Some time after her death he moved in with a girlfriend, Josefina Barrales, taking the three children with him. In 2010, social services were called to Barrales' home because of allegations that he was beating the children. The brothers were pronounced dead at the scene of the stabbing (pictured), while Fuentes was taken to hospital in critical condition and ultimately survived his woundsBarrales encouraged social workers to get involved, saying that Fuentes had become 'anxious, nervous and depressed'. After finding two of the children with bruises, likely caused by a belt, the family was placed under supervision. 'I made a mistake,' Fuentes told investigators at the time. Case workers found that Fuentes often worked long hours at the meat plant, and returned home to pandemonium. His children required constant supervision, and at one point, one of the boys was found playing with a knife. Fuentes was ordered to attend parenting classes and grief counseling. While he willingly attended the classes, he resisted the counseling. 'Father feels that counseling will not be beneficial to him because it will force him to remember when all he wants is to forget,' case workers noted. In November 2011, the family was taken off supervision after Fuentes had attended all of his parenting classes, but only one counseling session. Social workers were then called back to the home in 2014 to more reports of child abuse, but failed to substantiate the allegation. The family had fallen on hard times after Fuentes' wife Maria, who was also the boys' mother, had died suddenly of an aneurysm in 2008 (pictured visiting her grave)But they noted that the constant pressures of working a dangerous job and caring for three young children were weighing heavily on Fuentes. A short time later, Fuentes and his girlfriend ended their relationship, forcing the family to move out. For a time the father lived with his sister, then began bouncing between motels and sleeping in the car - where they had been for several months before the stabbing. The family were receiving $204 a month in food stamps, records show, but an application for welfare was turned down on June 22, three months before the boys were killed. On September 9, the family were found inside their car in the Nevin area of Los Angeles, close to downtown. The boys were pronounced dead at the scene, while Fuentes was rushed to hospital in critical condition. He survived his injuries and was hauled to court where he was charged with capital murder. Sobbing in the courtroom, he told the judge: 'Forgive me.' Prosecutors decided not to seek capital punishment in the case, and instead offered Fuentes a plea deal that would avoid the death penalty in return for a guilty plea. Fuentes pleaded guilty late Tuesday, and was immediately handed his sentence. Records show that Fuentes is currently held at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, awaiting transfer to a state prison.

###CLAIM: smith, who promoted the book while the wife was in the hospital, dragged the cruel claim that the devastating impact on the shattered spouse was a rumour that was `` cruel and untrue. '' ###DOCS: Glamorous sports presenter Yvonne Sampson has revealed the truth about unfounded rumours she had an affair with rugby league superstar Cameron Smith. Ms Sampson, a respected former Wide World of Sports presenter and current Fox League host, responded to the rumours on Friday after they were dredged-up by Smith in promoting his new autobiography. 'My husband and I were made aware of these absurd and baseless rumours when they surfaced three years ago. They are utterly false. This malicious gossip has no bearing on my life, career as a journalist or love of rugby league,' the 40-year-old told the Courier Mail. But the NRL star, who has been married to his wife Barbara for almost ten years, quickly realised the gravity of situation. 'It was just cruel ... rumours that were completely untrue. When I told Barb she was shattered. It floored her,' Smith told QWeekend. Smith, who has released a new autobiography, said the rumours were false and while he felt he could handle them, his concern was for both his wife and Ms Sampson. Ms Sampson is a long serving and well respected rugby league presenter, having worked for Wide World of Sports and Fox League. Smith said on the first occasion he did an interview with Ms Sampson after the rumours surfaced he felt deeply concerned for her and her fiance, who were getting ready to tie-the-knot later that year. 'Honestly, if I was going to have an affair - which I never would - why would I do it with someone with a profile as big as hers? And in my own sport?' Smith revealed his wife and Ms Sampson exchanged text messages in the aftermath of the rumours - checking on each other's welfare. The idea of publicly quashing the gossip on a scheduled appearance by Smith on Fox Sport's League Life in 2018 was also brought up but in the end Smith decided it would be better not to fan the flames. Yvonne Sampson announced her engagement to her Channel Nine news reporter boyfriend Chris O'Keefe in 2017Smith revealed his wife and Ms Sampson exchanged text messages in the aftermath of the rumours - checking on each other's welfareSmith's book, The Storm Within, also addresses some other events in the career of the former Melbourne and Australian captain. The book reveals he was so affected when he and his wife were portrayed as 'greedy' for accepting a diamond ring worth $15,000 from the NRL for his 400th game that he considered leaving the sport. The gift received criticism online from footy fans who questioned why Smith's wife had received the expensive gift. 'Why did you buy Cameron Smith's wife a ring? Is it because he runs the game?' one person wrote to the NRL's Twitter account after the 2019 presentation. 'Instead of buying Cameron Smith's wife a $15,000 diamond ring, (Todd) Greenberg could send 10 TVs over to Papua New Guinea and footballs for the PNG kids to kick around!' wrote another. Cameron Smith and wife Barbara at the 2018 Dally M Awards a year after the rumours surfacedFormer Queensland Maroons captain Cameron Smith (right) stands with his family ahead of Game 3 of the 2018 State of Origin series between the NSW Blues and the Queensland Maroons at Suncorp Stadium in BrisbaneThe Storm star was quick to hit back saying his wife had no knowledge of the gift until it was presented to her and she should not be targeted. 'Criticism is part of the game. I signed up to be an NRL player. To bring in personal attacks and family, that's not on. I'm not just saying that about myself. That's any athlete's family. I just think that's off-limits,' Smith said. Todd Greenberg, the then chief executive of the NRL, defended the present to Mrs Smith, saying the wives of rugby stars play a vital supporting role for players. Greenberg was replaced in the role earlier this year after the dire financial state of the NRL was exposed when coronavirus restrictions disrupted the 2020 season. Cameron Smith is pictured with his wife Barbara as he leaves the field after becoming the first player to reach 400 matchesSmith also revealed he still bitterly views Melbourne's treatment in the salary cap scandal that stripped the club of two premierships as unfair. Officials found the club had breached the salary cap rules by keeping a second set of financial books which hid a total of $3.78million in secret payments to players between 2006 and 2010. The Storm's titles between those years were revoked and the league fined the club more than $1million which was distributed among the other 15 clubs. Smith maintains his club's punishment was far more severe than other clubs who later broke the rules. Smith (pictured centre) celebrates with fellow Melbourne Storm teammates after winning the 2020 Grand Final in OctoberAs for his will-he-or-won't-he retirement moment, which has been shrouded in speculation, Smith is still leaving that a mystery. He explained the contracts started dropping for the 2021 season this week and he has not received one but maintains he is still playing as well as he ever has and his body is not asking him to stop. The record holder for the most games ever played in the NRL could have one more season in him yet. Cameron Smith says vicious rumours about his relationship with former teammates and his wife's spat with another WAG 'crossed the line' and rocked his family. The Melbourne Storm star addressed the 2018 headlines that he fell out with Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater in his book, The Storm Within. The unwanted media attention came after Cronk moved to Sydney to marry Fox presenter Tara Rushton in December 2017. Cronk parted ways with Storm and joined the Roosters for the 2018 season. But Smith said he was 'stunned' when his wife and the mother of his three children, Barb, was dragged into the mess amid claims of a bitter feud with Slater's wife. Cameron Smith is pictured with his wife Bard in 2019. The couple have three children togetherBilly Slater is pictured with his wife Nicole in January this year. Smith addressed rumours his wife Barb fell out with the WAG'Barb was brought into it, again, when stories went around about a spat between her and Billy's wife, Nic, which never happened,' Smith wrote in the book. 'They're good friends to this day. We were stunned. ''Where is this s**t coming from?'' we asked ourselves. 'What was clear was that the stories were being fabricated to fit a narrative: Cameron Smith does not get on with his teammates, and vice versa. 'It couldn't have been any further from the truth, but the more it was written and talked about, the more people seemed to believe it.' Smith said the couple 'had enough', and recalled a particular incident that set him over the edge. He was preparing to take on the Warriors in New Zealand in July 2018 when his high school sweetheart was approached by a reporter while unloading groceries. Pictured: Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk of Storm pose with the trophy during the lap of honour after winning the 2012 NRL Grand FinalThe journalist questioned Barb about Smith's 'relationship with his teammates'. 'Barb told him to p**s off but even so, the episode rocked her,' Smith said. 'Barb was shocked. Why was a reporter approaching her for comment about anything, especially on our property? How did he even know where we lived? 'If I'd been there, I would've given that bloke a mouthful. He had invaded her privacy her personal space and in that space were our three children, all of whom felt upset after seeing their mum get rattled. Smith wrote that things were starting to 'get out of hand'. 'Barb and I live a simple life. We're down-to-earth people doing the best we can. It just so happens that my job has a high profile,' he wrote. 'Away from footy, we just enjoy hanging out at home and being as far from the public eye as possible. This had crossed the line.' The Melbourne Storm star addressed the 2018 headlines that he had fallen out with Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater in his book, The Storm WithinThe Melbourne Storm captain launched his much-anticipated autobiography The Storm Within at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on Monday. The book has sparked widespread anger and bewilderment as it addresses 'cruel' and 'completely untrue' rumours about having an affair with Fox Sports presenter Yvonne Sampson. Smith's PR team warned media to avoid the hot topic and to also sidestep questions about his family and wife Barbara, Courier Mail reported. The book has gotten off to a rocky start with Smith cancelling 30 pre-planned interviews, because of family concerns, on Tuesday. NRL superstar Cameron Smith refused to talk about his rumoured affair with Yvonne Sampson at his book launch despite writing about it in his autobiographyThe book has sparked widespread anger and bewilderment as it addresses 'cruel' and 'completely untrue' rumours about having an affair with popular Fox sports presenter Ms SampsonChannel Nine and Sydney Morning Herald journalist Danny Weidler has since slammed the $49.99 book, claiming it contains misinformation. 'I'm finding it very hard to cop a lot of what Smith is saying,' Weidler said on radio station Triple M on Tuesday. 'Cameron Smith dipped into the sewer of rugby league to dredge out a rumour that was false about himself and Yvonne Sampson in order to get publicity for his book, that's how I see it. 'I didn't think it had to be part of his book, he obviously did. That's his decision, that's fine. 'Where I find it difficult to comprehend is he can bring that up, but won't deal with the genuine story which is his fallout with Cooper Cronk. 'I don't have a personal thing with Cameron Smith, [but] some of his behaviour hasn't impressed me.' Smith ignited more controversy following the release of his new autobiography. He's pictured with wife Barb at the 2018 Dally M awardsMs Sampson was forced to respond to the false affair rumours last week after they were dredged up by Smith in the days leading to the autobiography's release. 'My husband and I were made aware of these absurd and baseless rumours when they surfaced three years ago. They are utterly false. This malicious gossip has no bearing on my life, career as a journalist or love of rugby league,' she told News Corp.Smith, 37, said when he was first informed of the unfounded gossip being spread on social media, he was so surprised he burst out laughing. But the NRL star, who has been married to his wife Barbara for almost ten years, quickly realised the gravity of situation. False rumours of an affair with Ms Sampson began to circulate on social media ahead of the 2018 Grand Final. Yvonne Sampson (pictured with her husband, reporter Chris O'Keefe) was forced to respond to false rumours of an affair after Smith dredged up the 'cruel' and 'completely untrue' claims while promoting his bookIn his book, Smith said the rumours were 'cruel' and 'completely untrue' as he addressed the devastating impact the rumours had on his shattered wife. 'Honestly, if I was going to have an affair which I never would why would I do it with someone with a profile as big as hers? And in my own sport?' he wrote. Smith also revealed Ms Sampson asked him to deny the rumours alongside her on air when he appeared on her show, but he refused to do so. Smith said on the first occasion he did an interview with Ms Sampson after the rumours surfaced he felt deeply concerned for her and her fiance, who were getting ready to marry later that year. The champion hooker revealed his wife and Ms Sampson exchanged text messages in the aftermath of the rumours - checking on each other's welfare. How a one-word text message ended Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronks friendship after fateful decision by the halfback left Smith so furious he wouldnt pass him the ball on the fieldBY CHARLIE COE FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIAA one-word text message between former NRL teammates Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk reportedly marked the demise of their friendship. The pair's ongoing rift since Cronk left the Melbourne Storm at the end of the 2017 season to join the Sydney Roosters has been under the spotlight following the launch of Smith's autobiography this week. Speculation has grown the feud began when Smith turned down an invitation for him and his wife Barb to attend Cronk's wedding in the months after the controversial career move. The relationship between Smith and Cronk is believed to have soured in the build-up to the Roosters star's wedding to wife Tara Rushton. When Cronk contacted Smith because he hadn't received a reply to the wedding RSVP, the Storm legend is believed to have turned the invitation down with a very curt reply. Smith simply sent the word 'no' in a text message and the two have not spoken privately since, veteran rugby league journalist Paul Kent wrote in a column for The Daily Telegraph. Their former teammates won't shed any further light on the matter besides claiming Cronk was angered by the 'abrupt no-show'. Smith's fractured relationship with Cronk and Storm teammate Billy Slater became public in 2018 when it was reported his wife Barb had a falling out with Slater's wife, Nicole. Their fractured friendship was seemingly laid bare for everyone to see when Cronk took on his old club in Roosters colours for the first time in mid 2018. Tensions escalated in the 2018 NRL Grand Final when Cronk famously placed Smith in a chokehold (pictured) after taking exception to a crunching tackleHe warmly embraced all of his former teammates but offered only a brief handshake and minimal eye contact with Smith following the match. Tensions spilled over on the field a few months later in the grand final when Cronk famously placed Smith in a chokehold after taking exception to a crunching tackle during the Roosters' victory. The former best mates then avoided each other after the match with reports Cronk abruptly changed direction to avoid coming face to face with his former captain. Adding fuel to the fire, the pair both snubbed each other in post-match interviews and speeches.

###CLAIM: when the german company ramped up production of electric vehicles, it was subsidized by vw, the biggest foreign maker in china. ###DOCS: A Volkswagen joint venture in China is buying green car credits from Tesla to help stay within local environmental rules, according to a Reuters report. The deal, the first of its kind to be reported between the two companies in China, highlights the scale of the task VW faces to transform its huge petrol carmaking business into an electric vehicles specialist to rival Tesla. The deal was confirmed by three sources. Shares in Volkswagen, the worlds second-biggest carmaker, have soared this year as investors warm to the firms plans to go electric. But in China and other countries the vast German company is still heavily reliant on traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. China is the worlds biggest market for cars and more than 25m vehicles were sold there last year. The country runs a credit system to encourage carmakers to work towards a cleaner future by, for example, improving fuel efficiency or making more electric cars. Manufacturers of less-polluting vehicles are awarded green credits that can be offset against negative credits for producing more-polluting vehicles. The credits can also be bought and sold to ensure compliance with overall targets, though trade is usually between companies that are linked by a major stakeholder. Tesla has previously sold credits to Fiat Chrysler, now part of Stellantis. Fiat Chrysler paid hundreds of millions of euros to pool its dirtier cars with Teslas zero-emission vehicles to avoid steep fines. Now, to help meet increasingly tough targets in China, VWs joint venture with the state-owned Chinese automaker FAW has also agreed to buy credits from Tesla, said Reuters. Volkswagen declined to comment on the deal. It said in a statement it was strategically targeting to be self-compliant with rules in China, but that if required it would buy credits. Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDeskThe deal in effect involves VW, the biggest foreign carmaker in China, subsidising a rival while the German group ramps up production of electric vehicles. Its ventures in China plan to roll out five electric ID series models this year. Tesla, which last year generated $1.58bn (1.14bn) in revenue from selling its regulatory credits according to a regulatory filing, did not respond to requests for comment. FAW-Volkswagen sold more than 2m cars last year. The business and another Volkswagen venture in China with SAIC Motor were among the carmakers that generated the most negative credits in the country in 2019, according to data from Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The companies internal combustion engine saloons and SUVs have so far proved far more popular in China than their electric vehicles.

###CLAIM: every glimmer of confusion, anger, sadness, anger, and upset that our elderly relatives have also seen their brains start betraying us is shattered with slow. ###DOCS: Its rare to encounter a film like The Father, a sterling, Oscar-worthy chamber piece of inarguably high quality but one that I would hesitate before instantly, enthusiastically recommending to most. Its exquisitely acted and impressively, at times ingeniously, directed, and yet it deserves to be accompanied by a severe warning, one that will prove indispensable to certain viewers wholl not just find it difficult to watch but close to impossible. Its a drama about dementia that plays more like a horror, lit by a slowburn terror that something awful is happening to its elderly protagonist Anthony, played by Anthony Hopkins. Hes convinced that its some sort of trick, a pack of unending lies being told by his daughter Anne, played by Olivia Colman, whose stubborn inconsistency starts to read as some form of gaslighting. Rather than placing us with a beleaguered family member such as Anne as many films about this subject often do, writer-director Zeller, adapting his acclaimed play, forces us into Anthonys fractured, unnerving, exhausting world where not only details shift but faces and places do, all within the blink of an eye. Sometimes his daughter is someone else, played by Olivia Williams, sometimes shes married, sometimes shes not, sometimes hes in his flat, sometimes hes in hers. What could have been another worthy disease-of-the-week movie is transformed into something far more terrifying and in turn, far more effective. The Father is a hard film to endure but then so it should beIts an unspeakably uncomfortable subject for those who know what it feels like to watch someone slowly disappear and its a film that will rightfully be avoided as a result. I cant say that it provides much in the way of solace but it does humanise a character who were used to seeing patronised from a distance, with precious little depth. Aging on screen is still handled with kid gloves and with broad strokes, if handled at all, whether that be a result of our collective obsession with youth or a fear of truly confronting what comes next. But in Zellers tough-minded yet empathetic film, he refuses to shy away from the grit as well as the humanity, never losing sight of just how Anthony is feeling and how terrifying this grind of confusion must be. The most heartbreaking moments are often when he pretends to understand what hes being confronted with rather than angrily reacting, a sad acceptance of a life of whiplash unpredictability. Were in his flat for the most part but Zeller avoids the obvious accusation of staginess by constantly rearranging what we see in front of us, making us as confused as Anthony, dragging us deeper into the fog along with him. Our emotional investment is also secured by a sensational performance by Hopkins, registering every flicker of confusion and anger and upset in ways that slowly shatter because we not only see an elderly relative but we also see ourselves and what might happen when our brains start to betray us too. Its the best hes ever been, after a period of lesser challenges, a detailed and devastating turn that reminds us of the sheer, hard-to-rival power he possesses as an actor. The Father is a hard film to endure but then so it should be.

###CLAIM: since williams last stood on an international podium in 2014, the pain of injury, setbacks and defeats has been excruciating. ###DOCS: Years ago, when Jodie Williams was being hailed as the next great British sprinter, she had a tattoo on her wrist: Pain is Temporary, Victory is Forever. It was an impressive work of art, but a lousy piece of prophecy. The pain from injuries, setbacks and defeats has lasted since 2014, the last time Williams stood on an international podium. But in the Polish renaissance city of Torun, Williams career experienced a notable rebirth as she scratched her seven-year itch by claiming 400m bronze at the European Indoor Championships. By the time the lactic acid had started burning through her lungs in the last 150m, the brilliant young Dutch athlete Femke Bol was already on her way to gold in 50.63sec, with Polands Justyna Swiety-Ersetic far behind her in silver. But the 27-year-old Williams, who had been inconvenienced by starting in lane one, gritted her teeth to hold off a spirited charge from Irelands Phil Healy finish in a personal best 51.73sec. It was all a blur, honestly, I saw the lane draw and knew it would be tough, but I thought: I have to do it the hard way and I did it, said Williams, who is captain of the British team at these championships. 2014 was the last time I was on an international podium, but I am a determined woman, I cannot quit on myself.It has been a heck of a journey. Williams was once seen as a future star after winning the world under-18 titles at 100m and 200m, and was given the nickname Miss Money Legs by her friends. But she struggled to make the transition to elite level and her career looked to be fizzling out. Now, though, she can kick on again at the Tokyo Olympics. For sure, I have my mojo back, she said. Earlier in the evening Holly Archer navigated one of the scrappiest indoor finals in recent memory - and also overcame being disqualified for jostling with another athlete - to win a surprise silver 1500m medal. The 25-year-old Archer is not lottery funded, because she is not seen as a realistic Olympic medal contender, and so has to combine her athletics career with working in pharmaceutical marketing in the US. But in her first competition in a British vest she showed considerable nous in a highly tactical affair to come through behind the Belgian Elise Vanderelst, who took gold in 4:18.44. When Archer heard that she had been disqualified she was in tears on an Instagram post, although she also admitted making a mistake. There then followed a three-hour wait during which a successful appeal from the British team was heard and a counter-appeal then rejected. That was the longest wait ever, said Archer after her medal was confirmed. It was supposed to be half an hour but it turned into three hours. I feel absolutely delighted. To come so close and then get it taken away, Ive been on a rollercoaster. But Im really happy to finally get that silver. From the gun it was just jostling, she added. The first 10m, arms and legs were going everywhere, so I dont really remember much. All I remember is being fifth or sixth. At the bell, I still didnt know where I was. Its been an incredible experience.Holly Archer celebrates winning silver in the 1500m. Photograph: Darko Vojinovic/APThere was a third British medal on the night in the womens pole vault, but Holly Bradshaw was left bitterly disappointed after only clearing 4.65m to take bronze. To come here and do my lowest all season, its not what you expect, said Bradshaw, who finished behind Switzerlands Angelica Moser, who cleared a personal best 4.75m for a surprise win. There was little joy either for Britain in the mens 60m as Andy Robertson could only run 6.63sec behind the Italian Marcell Jacobs, who produced a stunning performance to take gold in 6.47. The most exciting event of the night came in the womens long jump as the Ukrainian Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk jumped 6.92m on her final attempt to pip the German Malaika Mihambo, who took silver with 6.88m. There should be more British medallists on Sunday with 19-year-old Keely Hodgkinson producing a masterly performance to reach the 800m final as the fastest qualifier. Isabelle Boffey and Ellie Baker also made it through, although the home favourite Joanna Jozwik looks the one to beat. In the mens 800m, Jamie Webb hopes to go one better than his silver in Glasgow two years ago and Andy Pozzi is also the favourite in the mens 60m hurdles. Meanwhile, in the womens 60m hurdles, Tiffany Porter is seeking to become the first athlete to win an international medal wearing a mask.

###CLAIM: you know, when you get to 30, if things change, you'd love to retire, but keep going and feeling fit and healthy. ###DOCS: Andy Robertson says he would 'love' to spend the rest of his career playing for Liverpool as he reveals his plans to retire at the club. Robertson shot to stardom after joining Liverpool from Hull City in 2017 and has become a pillar of Jurgen Klopp's side - making 177 appearances in four seasons. The full-back previously spoke about representing boyhood club Celtic, but has since refuted such claims - saying he wants to stay at Liverpool 'forever'. Fixtures No matches scheduled View all fixturesScottish defender Andy Robertson has revealed that he would 'love to retire' at LiverpoolWhen asked whether he would swap Anfield for Parkhead, Robertson told PLS Soccer: 'I get asked this question a lot. 'Look, my aim is to finish at Liverpool, and I'd love to finish at Liverpool, but I know how tough it is to keep playing at the highest level. Time will come to make that decision. 'Right now I've still got a good length on my contract, I want to stay here forever and I hope to retire here, but you know if I keep going and I feel fit and I feel healthy, but when you get into your 30s things change, I'd love to retire at this club.' Robertson shot to stardom after joining Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool side from Hull in 2017He plans to see out his career at Liverpool as long as he is fit and healthy enough to do soRobertson has played a pivotal role in Liverpool's success over recent years and helped the club claim their first Premier League crown in 30 years last season. The Scottish defender also helped the Reds finish the 2020-21 campaign in fourth and secure a Champions League place when many believed it was out of reach. However, Robertson's attention has now turned to the international scene as he looks to guide Scotland through the European Championships. The 27-year-old successfully captained the Tartan Army to their first major tournament since 1998. Now they are set to face Czech Republic, Croatia and England in the group stage. He also believes team-mate Jordan Henderson will be his toughest opponent at Euro 2020Looking ahead to the competition, Robertson says his toughest opponent will be Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson. He said: 'It's [Jordan] Henderson for me, unfortunately. 'My captain, you know, he can get quite angry on the pitch when I'm on his team, so hopefully he doesn't get angry at me when I'm on the opposite team. 'They're full of quality. Obviously I know Hendo and I know Trent [Alexander-Arnold], hopefully he'll be in the squad, and I know those two close and personally, so I know how good they are.'

###CLAIM: the communications director quit soon after, sparking speculation that dominic and cummings could leave as john 's top advisors, further weakening the pro-vote camp. ###DOCS: A waiter wears a face mask as people eat and drink outside restaurants in Soho, in London, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020. A second lockdown in England is set to come into force on Thursday. It's a big blow to businesses that sweeps away any hopes that the British economy might have recovered by the end of this year a large proportion of the near 25% drop endured in the spring. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)A waiter wears a face mask as people eat and drink outside restaurants in Soho, in London, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020. A second lockdown in England is set to come into force on Thursday. It's a big blow to businesses that sweeps away any hopes that the British economy might have recovered by the end of this year a large proportion of the near 25% drop endured in the spring. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)LONDON (AP) The British economy remained nearly 10% smaller at the end of the third quarter despite posting a record bounceback in the summer, when many of the restrictions that had been placed on businesses to control the pandemic were lifted. The imposition of new limits on public life in the autumn means the economy will likely end the year even smaller. The Office for National Statistics said Thursday that the economy grew by 15.5% in the July to September period. Though that was in line with market expectations, the data shows that the recovery was already running out of steam in September, before a resurgence of the coronavirus led to the economically damaging reimposition of new restrictions. ADVERTISEMENTThe third quarter growth did not make up for the record 19.8% slump of the second quarter, when much of the economy was shuttered to fight the coronavirus, and the 2.5% fall in the first three months of the year when the virus started to affect everyday life. Despite the third-quarter improvement, the statistics agency said the economy was still 9.7% below where it was at the end of 2019. The worry is that the economy will shrink again over the winter months after the resurgence of the virus led to fresh curbs on everyday life across the U.K. and amid uncertainty around whether a post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union will be reached. The new restrictions come at a particularly inopportune time for many retailers, with Christmas just around the corner. Under the terms of the current lockdown in England, nonessential places such as pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, golf courses, gyms, swimming pools, entertainment venues and stores selling items like books, clothing and sneakers, must remain closed until at least Dec. 2. Unlike the spring lockdown, schools and universities in England are remaining open this time, as are construction sites and factories. The government has responded to the new curbs, announcing that its generous salary support scheme, which sees it paying 80% of the salaries of workers retained by firms rather than fired, will be extended through March. Treasury chief Rishi Sunak acknowledged that the health measures taken in the past few weeks mean growth has likely slowed further since then.There are still hard times ahead, but we will continue to support people through this and ensure nobody is left without hope or opportunity, he said. In addition to virus developments, the British economy remains hobbled by uncertainty over the future trade relationship between the U.K. and the EU. Discussions between the two sides are continuing Thursday. ADVERTISEMENTThough the U.K. left the EU on Jan. 31, it remains within the blocs tariff-free single market and customs union until the end of the year. For a deal to pass the necessary legislative hurdles, an agreement has to be secured soon, potentially over the next few days. A trade deal would ensure there are no tariffs and quotas on trade in goods between the two sides, but there would still be technical costs, partly associated with customs checks and non-tariff barriers on services. The governments current thinking on Brexit is unclear, and appears to have been complicated by bitter infighting within Prime Minister Boris Johnsons 10. Downing Street operation. Late Wednesday, Lee Cain announced he was quitting as director of communications, a move that has sparked speculation that Dominic Cummings, Johnsons top adviser, could soon leave, further weakening the pro-Brexit camp. Both Cain and Cummings worked together on the 2016 Brexit referendum campaign that was largely fronted by Johnson. ___Follow APs coronavirus pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

###CLAIM: alastair miller, deputy medical director of training at the joint royal colleges of physicians and surgeons ( rcs ), said the purpose of covid 's tests was mainly infection control and scientific studies. ###DOCS: 24 Sept 2020 12.54 EDT Steven Morris The Welsh government welcomed the chancellors job support scheme but says it falls short on much needed training investment and measures to help job creation. Finance minister Rebecca Evans also expressed her disappointment at the lack of extra support for some of Wales hardest hit sectors, such as steel and aerospace. Evans said: After pressing for further wage subsidy support, I welcome the job support scheme but I am concerned that it is not coupled with new training investment that will be essential to protecting livelihoods in the long term. Whilst the eleventh hour measures announced by the chancellor today prevents the worst consequences of a furlough cliff edge, more needs to be done to help unemployed workers find new jobs and incentivise employers to hire new workers. For some workers this announcement is simply too late. 24 Sept 2020 12.51 EDT Public Health England has posted this on Twitter because the coronavirus dashboard is having technical problems. The COVID-19 dashboard is currently experiencing technical difficulties. We can confirm that:6,634 new positive cases have been recorded on Thursday 24 September, giving a total of 416,363. 40 new deaths have been reported across the UK, giving a total of 41,902. Public Health England (@PHE_uk) September 24, 202024 Sept 2020 12.49 EDT Zoe Wood Supermarket chain Morrisons has introduced limits on certain items today, after seeing a jump in demand following the introduction of tighter Covid-19 rules. The move includes toilet roll and disinfectant. The supermarket chain says it had introduced a purchase limit of three on a small range of products to ensure they were available for everyone. The move echoes the beginning of the first wave of Covid-19 in the UK, when supermarkets were forced to impose restrictions on purchases because of people stockpiling. Morrisons becomes first large supermarket to reinstate Covid rationing Read more24 Sept 2020 12.47 EDT New research suggests that only around one person in five with coronavirus symptoms has been properly self-isolating. The figure is included in this paper (pdf) written by a team of academics, headed by Louise Smith from Kings College London. They have been surveying people since March and, in the period until early August, they found that only 18.2% of people reporting Covid symptoms in the previous seven days had not left home. That was despite the fact that most people said they would stay at home in those circumstances. % of people with Covid symptoms who are self-isolating Photograph: Smith The research also found that only 11.9% of people with Covid symptoms had been requesting a test. % of people with symptoms requesting a test Photograph: Smith The paper is a pre-print, which means it has not been peer reviewed yet. (Academics used to wait until their research had been peer reviewed before they published it, but because of the public interest in learning about coronavirus, Covid pre-prints are now appearing regularly.) The data is also several weeks old, just going up to early August. But in total more than 30,000 people were surveyed and the data suggests behaviour has not changed much over time. The findings match similar research that has been peer reviewed. Commenting on the paper, these are from Billy Quilty, an epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Worrying new preprint from @louisesmith142 et al. finds just 18% of persons with COVID symptoms adhere to self-isolation, and only 11% adhere to quarantine if contacted by test and trace: https://t.co/tjoRG9x6OO Billy Quilty (@BQuilty) September 24, 2020 Really reinforces the need for clear public health messaging, as well as for practical and financial support for isolating/quarantining persons. Billy Quilty (@BQuilty) September 24, 2020Updated at 12.54 EDT24 Sept 2020 12.34 EDT Record UK Covid case numbers 'stark warning for us all', says Public Health England Commenting on the new coronavirus case figures, Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England, said: This is the highest number recorded and a stark warning for us all. The signals are clear. Positivity rates are rising across all age groups and were continuing to see spikes in rates of admission to hospital and critical care. We must all follow the new measures that have been bought in to help control the virus and download the new NHS Covid-19 App which is the fastest way of knowing when youre at risk. Yvonne Doyle at a No 10 press conference in April Photograph: Pippa Fowles/DOWNING STREET/EPA24 Sept 2020 12.31 EDT UK records 6,634 new coronavirus cases highest daily total on record The UK has recorded 6,634 new coronavirus cases, according to the latest data on the governments coronavirus dashboard. That is an increase from 6,178 yesterday and the highest daily total on record. However, that does not mean that the incidence of coronavirus in the UK is as higher, or higher, as it was when case numbers last peaked in the spring. At that point relatively few tests were being carried out. Far more tests are being carried out every day and and so a much higher proportion of positive cases are being picked up. The dashboard also shows that a further 40 people have died from coronavirus in the UK. 'Stark warning to us all': UK reports record number of Covid cases Read moreUpdated at 13.27 EDT24 Sept 2020 12.13 EDT Denmark, Slovakia and Iceland removed from travel corridor list, meaning quarantine rules will apply Denmark, Slovakia, Iceland and the Caribbean island of Curacao are being removed from the UKs travel corridor list, Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, has announced. That means travellers arriving in England from those countries after 4am on Saturday will have to go into quarantine. Data shows we need to remove DENMARK, SLOVAKIA, ICELAND, and CURACAO from the Travel Corridor list. If you arrive in the UK from these destinations after 4am this Saturday, you will need to self-isolate for 14 days. [1/3] Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) September 24, 2020 We will not be adding any destinations to the Travel Corridor list this week. Remember: You MUST complete a Passenger Locator Form by law if you enter the UK. This protects public health and ensures those who need to are complying with self-isolation rules. [2/3] Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) September 24, 2020 Also please don't forget that you MUST self-isolate (quarantine) when returning from a non-exempt country, or face fines which start at 1,000. Visit: https://t.co/wQuays1qsN [3/3] Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) September 24, 2020Updated at 12.29 EDT24 Sept 2020 12.04 EDT Tens of thousands of care home staff and residents waiting more than three days for test results, figures show Josh Halliday Tens of thousands of care home staff and residents are waiting for longer than three days to get coronavirus test results, missing a key government target, official figures show. Care home managers have raised concerns that the long delays risk leading to more infections among vulnerable residents because potentially infected staff who do not have symptoms will continue working until they receive their result. Government figures released on Thursday showed that nearly three quarters (72.5%) of so-called satellite tests, the vast majority of which are carried out in care homes, have taken longer than 72 hours to return a result since the government rolled out weekly testing to care homes at the start of September. Of the 734,725 tests taken between 3 and 16 September, 532,799 took more than three days to produce a result. More than 32,000 tests did not produce a result at all. While some tests will have been carried out on the same person, the delays mean tens of thousands of care home staff or residents will have been waiting longer than the governments target of 72 hours for a result. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has told care home operators that it aimed for all tests in those facilities to return a result within three days. In the latest weekly test and trace report published on Thursday, it said there may be delays because some care homes will carry out tests over multiple days for them to be collected a few days later. Delays in results are thought to be caused by capacity issues at testing facilities, and the government has promised to boost capacity to 500,000 tests a day by the end of next month. Updated at 12.17 EDT24 Sept 2020 11.41 EDT Scottish government says Sunak's job support scheme 'disappointing' and doesn't go far enough Libby Brooks Scotlands finance minister Kate Forbes says that Rishi Sunaks jobs package doesnt go far enough or provide sufficient clarity for the over 217,000 Scots still on furlough. In a statement Forbes said it was disappointing that these changes dont take into account our current reality of local lockdowns, with no apparent flexibility to support local or national restrictions, or those sectors, like the events sector, that have not yet been able to reopen. She added: As I have stressed before, we have responded to Covid-19 without the fiscal levers we require. Not only is the UK government denying us the appropriate financial powers needed to fully respond to the pandemic, it has also removed any clarity about how much funding we will receive by deciding to scrap this autumns UK budget. 24 Sept 2020 11.38 EDT Rishi Sunaks scaled-back job support scheme will pull the rug from under so-called zombie companies who have been limping along through the pandemic. So warns Gareth Prince, partner at accountancy firm Begbies Traynor. Thats because the structure of the subsidy scheme means an employee must still pay more than half a staff members wages, even if they only do 33% of their contracted hours [because the employer also pays a third of the unworked hours]. Prince writes: Amid difficult circumstances, the Chancellor was under pressure to bridge the gap and avoid a cliff edge once the furlough scheme ends. On the face of it, this new package of measures provides a helping hand to get people back into the workplace on reduced hours. However, the lions share of responsibility now shifts to the employer who will have to find 55% of an employees pay for working just one third of their usual hours. The proposals are clearly designed to support viable jobs and businesses, but will pull the rug from under so-called zombie companies. It remains to be seen if it is enough to safeguard viable jobs and stem the tide of inevitable redundancies. 24 Sept 2020 11.36 EDT Rishi Sunak at his press conference, being questioned by BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg. Photograph: John Sibley/PA24 Sept 2020 11.25 EDT Nicola Davis Experts have warned young people must be made aware that while they have a low risk of dying from Covid-19, it can leave them with persistent symptoms that can affect their ability to work and live life to the full, potentially for months. Speaking at an online meeting of the Royal Society of Medicine, Carolyn Chew-Graham, GP principal in Central Manchester and professor of general practice research at Keele University, said it was crucial that GPs had a way of recording so-called long Covid, noting at present it was difficult to assess how many people were experiencing ongoing symptoms. Dr Alastair Miller, deputy medical director at the joint Royal Colleges of Physicians training board, said the main reason for Covid testing was for infection control and scientific studies. However Dr Nisreen Alwan, associate professor in public health at the University of Southampton who is herself living with ongoing effects of Covid, said testing was crucial to patients themselves in the absence of a clinical definition of long Covid. She said: Testing is everything for people suffering with long Covid because they have some sort of solid evidence there is something wrong with me and it is not all in my head, and I am feeling these symptoms and I need investigations, and I need care.Updated at 11.33 EDT24 Sept 2020 11.11 EDT This chart, from Capital Economics, shows neatly how the UKs new wage support scheme will cost the Treasury rather less than the furlough scheme, and put more of the burden on companies. Photograph: Capital Economics Matthew Wort, partner at Anthony Collins Solicitors, says the new scheme will best suit companies who are still running at close to capacity. Businesses still effectively have to cover 55% of employment costs for potentially only a third of work being completed. As a result, the scheme is most likely to be used where there has only been a small drop off in work. For example, an employee who returns to work on 70% of normal hours would only lost 10% of their pay [theyd get 70% of their wages as normal, with the government and their employees picking up 10% each, and 10% (the remaining third of the shortfall) lost]. 24 Sept 2020 10.50 EDT Credit rating agency Moodys has warned that more UK households will miss mortgage payments in the coming months. Greg OReilly, vice president at Moodys, points out that the UKs mortgage payment holiday ends on 31 October - just as the new wage subsidy scheme begins. The replacement of the furlough scheme with the emergency job scheme will lead to an increase in missed mortgage payments because it will benefit fewer people, Around 10% of securitised prime mortgages were under payment moratorium based on monthly transaction data received in August. So far, maturing payment moratoriums have not resulted in any significant levels of arrears, but this pattern is likely to change starting from end of October, when borrowers will no longer be able to request further payment holidays at the same time that fewer will be eligible for employment support.Updated at 10.54 EDT

###CLAIM: at the press conference, bancroft and captain steve smith lied about how the tampering plan came about. ###DOCS: Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has suggested it is highly likely the team's bowlers were aware about the sandpaper ball-tampering plot. Clarke's comments came after Cameron Bancroft, who along with captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner was sanctioned for his role in the 2018 scandal, implied more players knew what was going on. Bancroft said it was 'self-explanatory' when asked if some of an Australian attack comprising Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Marsh and Nathan Lyon were aware the state of the ball was being altered by sandpaper concealed in trouser pockets. Cricket Australia has invited those with fresh evidence relating to the scandal to come forward. Clarke, whose 12-year career with Australia ended in 2015, was sceptical that the bowlers wouldn't have known what was going on. He told Sky Sports Radio in quotes reported by the Sydney Morning Herald: 'If you are playing sport at the highest level you know your tools that good it's not funny. 'Can you imagine that ball being thrown back to the bowler and the bowler not knowing about it? Please!' David Warner, Steve Smith (right) and Bancroft (left) were all banned for cheatingFormer captain Smith in tears at a press conference following the ball-tampering scandalClarke added: 'I love how the articles in the paper are, "It is such a big surprise that Cameron Bancroft has made a..."'Actually, if you read his quotes, it is not what he did say as what he didn't say in regards to other people knowing about "sandpapergate". 'What's the surprise? That more than three people knew? 'I don't think anybody who has played the game of cricket, or knows a little bit about cricket, would know that in a team like that, at the highest level, when the ball is such an important part of the game. 'I don't think anybody is surprised that more than three people knew about it.' During the investigation that followed South Africa's 322-run victory, only Bancroft, who applied the sandpaper to the ball's leather surface, plus Smith and Warner were hit with sanctions. Warner (pictured) and Smith served one-year bans for their roles in the scandalThe senior duo served 12-month suspensions and were discounted from leadership positions within Australian teams for two years and life respectively. Bancroft was banned from all international and domestic cricket for nine months, eventually returning in December 2018. The scandal also led to the resignation of coach Darren Lehman a few days later. When questioned about others' knowledge in the Guardian interview, Bancroft, who has played only two Tests since, said: 'Yeah, look, all I wanted to do was to be responsible and accountable for my own actions and part. 'Yeah, obviously what I did benefits bowlers and the awareness around that, probably, is self-explanatory. I guess one thing I learnt through the journey and being responsible is that's where the buck stops [with Bancroft himself]. Had I had better awareness I would have made a much better decision.' Asked again if the bowlers knew, following a pause, he is reported to have replied: 'Uh... yeah, look, I think, yeah, it's pretty probably self-explanatory.'

###CLAIM: the fact that the migrants have just yet to plead guilty to entering the us illegally is completely ignored by obama, who blames no one but himself. ###DOCS: Even before Joe Biden is sworn in as president, his administration is facing an immigration crisis entirely of the Democrats making. After repeatedly promising to reverse the Trump administrations strict immigration and border policies, the incoming Biden administration suddenly realizes there are consequences. Bidens message to would-be migrants, reports NBC News, is this: Dont come at least not yet. A senior Biden administration transition official is quoted as saying that migrants need to understand theyre not going to be able to come into the United States immediately.But the migrants arent waiting. Inspired by hopes of getting into the United States under a more lenient Biden administration, a caravan of some 8,000 Hondurans are currently making their way toward the southwest border. On Friday, advance elements of the caravan clashed with Guatemalan soldiers at the border of the two countries, with two separate groups of more than 3,000 people forcing their way into Guatemala. The caravan could reach the US-Mexico border in a matter of weeks. Migrants hoping to reach the US border walk alongside a highway in Chiquimula, Guatemala, Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021. APThe news should come as no surprise to anyone who has paid attention to Bidens campaign rhetoric over the past year. When you promise to end on Day Onea Trump program that requires Central American asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico while their cases are being adjudicated, effectively endorsing a return to the catch-and-release policies of the past, its entirely reasonable for thousands of Hondurans to conclude that if they can get into the US after Biden is sworn in, they can stay. Perhaps realizing this, in recent weeks, the incoming administration has been scrambling to temper its messaging about the border in hopes of forestalling a crisis. In late December, Biden said he would roll back Trumps immigration policies at a slower pace than he initially promised to avoid having 2 million people on our border. It will probably take six months, he said, to create a new system to process tens of thousands of asylum-seekers, and his team is setting up the guardrails to avoid a surge of illegal immigration this spring. Well, sorry, but its too late. Biden tore down the guardrails that Trump built when the president-elect promised to do away with the current administrations border policies policies that had been effective at curbing illegal immigration and largely securing the border during the pandemic. Now, apprehensions on the southwest border are on the rise. Tellingly, the numbers of single adults from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador apprehended in December are the highest they have been in four years. And no wonder: Those countries have been hit hard, not just by the pandemic, which decimated their fragile economies, but also by a devastating pair of hurricanes in November. Men seeking work in the United States most likely make up the majority of the Honduran caravan, the first of multiple such caravans well see in the coming months as people desperate for work cross the border and claim asylum. Under these circumstances, Bidens plea to migrants not to illegally enter the US just yet will be completely ignored and Biden will have no one but himself to blame. John Daniel Davidson is the political editor of The Federalist and a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Good morning and welcome to Fox News First. Here's what you need to know as you start your day ...Biden transition official tells migrant caravans: 'Now is not the time' to come to USA migrant caravan moving from Honduras toward the U.S. border called on the incoming Biden administration to honor their "commitments" to the migrants moving north, citing the incoming administration's vow to ease Trump's restrictions on asylum. But on Sunday, an unnamed Biden transition official said that migrants hoping to claim asylum in the U.S. during the first few weeks of the new administration "need to understand they're not going to be able to come into the United States immediately," NBC News reports. More than 1,000 Honduran migrants moved into Guatemala on Friday without registering as part of a larger caravan that left a Honduran city earlier in the day. The Associated Press reported that they are hoping for a warmer reception when they reach the U.S. border, and a statement issued by migrant rights group Pueblo Sin Fronteras, on behalf of the caravan, said it expects the Biden administration to take action. The Biden transition official, however, warned migrants against coming to the U.S. during the early days of the new administration, telling NBC that while "there's help on the way," now "is not the time to make the journey." "The situation at the border isn't going to be transformed overnight," the official told the outlet. "We have to provide a message that health and hope is on the way, but coming right now does not make sense for their own safety...while we put into place processes that they may be able to access in the future," the official said. CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON OUR TOP STORY. In other developments:- Migrant caravan in Honduras on the move in uncertain times- Migrant caravan demands Biden administration 'honors its commitments'- Biden's 'humane' immigration plan gives green cards to TPS, DACA recipients, Harris saysBiden aims to 'Make America California Again': paperThe Los Angeles Times ran a headline Sunday that is sure to grab the attention of Trump supporters everywhere: "Make America California Again? Thats Bidens plan." The paper goes into detail on how the Golden State is emerging as "the de facto policy think tank" for the Biden team and said, "there is no place the incoming administration is leaning on more heavily for inspiration in setting a progressive policy agenda." The paper spoke with Gray Davis, the former Democratic governor, who pointed to the fact that Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, a soon-to-be-former senator from the state "will be in all the meetings and have the last word with the president after they are over. Shell be sharing ideas, innovations and breakthroughs from California that might help solve problems on the national level." While many on social media celebrated the headline some questioned the wisdom of trying to emulate a state that lost 135,600 more people than moved there from July 1, 2019 to July 1, 2020, according to the Associated Press. That marks only the 12th time since 1900 that the state had a net migration loss, and the third-largest ever recorded. CLICK HERE FOR MORE. In other developments:-California Gov. Im confident that by the end of the month, well be back up," Matze told Fox News during a telephone interview on Sunday night. Parler registered its domain with host sharing website Epik last week, following Amazon Web Services' decision to shut Parler down for failure to moderate "egregious content" related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The move was a tiny-yet-important step that helped Matze realize his aggressive timeframe for Parlers eventual return is realistic. "Every day it changes wildly, but I feel confident now," Matze said. "Were making significant progress. When you go into Parler.com it doesnt go into the void now, it hits a server, and it returns just one piece of information"Parler had been down since Amazon Web Services cut it off, but now fan of the popular social media platform are at least able to hear from Matze himself. "Hey is this thing on?" Matze wrote in the first update when the static page was laucnhed. "Now seems like the right time to remind you all both lovers and haters why we started this platform. We believe privacy is paramount and free speech essential, especially on social media. Our aim has always been to provide a nonpartisan public square where individuals can enjoy and exercise their rights to both. We will resolve any challenge before us and plan to welcome all of you back soon. We will not let civil discourse perish!" CLICK HERE FOR MORE. SOME PARTING WORDSSen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., reacted to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders becoming the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee now that Democrats control the chamber, saying on Sunday, "Ive got a fight on my hands." Not signed up yet for Fox News First? Click here to find out what you're missing. Fox News Go Watch page is now available, providing visitors with Pay TV provider options in their area carrying Fox News Channel & Fox Business Network. Fox News First was compiled by Fox News' Jack Durschlag. Thank you for making us your first choice in the morning! Well see you in your inbox first thing Tuesday.

###CLAIM: the playoffs were suspended because of a new positive coronavirus test among players, the leagues announced. ###DOCS: In what was deemed a make or break moment, the National Womens Hockey Leagues two-week bubble season ended on Wednesday when the league announced it was suspending the playoffs because of new positive coronavirus tests among players. The premature end of the season in Lake Placid, N.Y., is a major blow to a league that was making noticeable strides toward increasing its visibility and sponsorships. Over the past week, the N.W.H.L. had announced new sponsorship deals with Discover and Dicks Sporting Goods. The league was also scheduled to have its postseason games set for Thursday and Friday broadcast on NBC Sports Network, the first time professional womens hockey would have been shown live on a major cable network in the United States. The league had planned for its six teams to play five games each before the playoffs, but now the league must consider how to move forward after the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2019-20 finals and disrupted its comeback attempt after a 10-month hiatus. Tyler Tumminia, the leagues interim commissioner, said she hoped the league would be able to continue the playoffs at a later date.

###CLAIM: in another reform proposed, aimed at creating a healthier and just tax system, the government will also examine adding more bands to personal income tax, it said, without elaborating. ###DOCS: JAKARTA, May 21 (Reuters) - Indonesia has drawn up proposals to bring in a carbon tax to curb greenhouse gas emissions, in addition to raising VAT rates and reforming income tax, as part of a major overhaul of the tax system, a finance ministry document showed. The document, uploaded on Friday, provides a more detailed look at the options the government is considering than in a presentation to parliament a day earlier. For the carbon tax, emissions on the use of fossil fuels such as coal, diesel and gasoline by factories and vehicles could be targetted, the document said, noting there could be a focus on "carbon intensive sectors such as the pulp and paper, cement, electricity generation and petrochemical industries". Indonesia, which is a leading producer of coal, gas and oil, is one of the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters, due in large part to a rapid rate of conversion of rainforests and carbon rich peatlands. Noting a carbon tax would add to business costs, the ministry said it should be accompanied with policies to bolster people's purchasing power "to lower resistance and unintended impacts". Revenue from the tax would be used to invest in environmentally friendly sectors and welfare programmes, the ministry said. The Indonesia Coal Mining Association said it had not been consulted about the plan, but warned additional taxes would put further pressure on what is already a sunset industry. "The second point is, if we're talking about reducing carbon, we've done many practical efforts," said Executive Director Hendra Sinadia, pointing to reclamation efforts to reduce the rate of deforestation and technology to curb coal power plant emissions. In another part of the proposed reforms, the government is also examining the addition of more bands in personal income tax brackets as part of an attempt to "create a more healthy and just tax system," it said, without elaborating. Indonesia currently has four tax brackets ranging from 5% to 30%, but there have been recommendations from organisations such as the International Monetary Fund to broaden this to include the middle class and make the system more progressive. Other policy proposals include raising value added tax rates and removing numerous exemptions that the government thinks have distorted business competitiveness. A 10% VAT rate is currently applied to most sales of goods and services, with exemptions given to some agricultural products, staple food and healthcare and education services. Reporting by Gayatri Suroyo Editing by Ed DaviesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. (Add finance minister comment, context)JAKARTA, May 20 (Reuters) - Indonesias government proposed to parliament on Thursday a shakeup in tax policy, including introducing new levies, to help it boost next years revenues while reducing the budget deficit, the countrys finance minister said. While the proposal brought up at parliaments plenary meeting lacked details, it was still met with objections from several lawmakers who warned against hiking tax when the economy had not fully recovered from the coronavirus pandemic. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said the government remained committed to supporting an economic recovery, but she also wanted to introduce structural tax reforms. The policy reform is aimed at expanding the tax base and finding new sources of revenue by improving value-added tax (VAT) collection and reducing its regressiveness, she said, without elaborating. The minister also proposed changes to individual income tax policy and a carbon tax. The proposal came amid reports in local media that the government is considering raising the VAT rate, which is currently 10% and applied on nearly all sales of goods and services. Sri Mulyani did not bring this up and her ministrys spokeswoman did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Media has also reported a planned plastic excise tax in 2022, but the ministrys customs chief Askolani said this was still under review. Sri Mulyani also proposed that 2022 spending would be within a range of 14.7% to 15.3% of GDP, with a fiscal deficit of 4.51% to 4.85% of GDP, smaller than this years 5.7% deficit. The budget proposal assumed an economic growth rate of 5.2% to 5.8%, compared with 5% growth assumed in this years budget. The economy contracted 2% last year, battered by the pandemic. President Joko Widodo is expected to give parliament a more detailed 2022 budget proposal in August and lawmakers are expected to vote a few months after. ($1 = 14,395.0000 rupiah) (Reporting by Tabita Diela; Editing by Gayatri Suroyo and Ed Davies)

###CLAIM: nadal reached break point with a backhand slice that just did enough after a drop shot from medvedev. ###DOCS: 21 Nov 2020 18.11 EST This time last year, Daniil Medvedev failed to see out a 5-1 third set lead against Rafael Nadal, eventually losing after holding match point. He finished his ATP Finals debut 0-3 and miserable. A year later, he has his first ever win over Nadal and he enters the final with a perfect 4-0 record. Growth. Sweet successDaniil Medvedev digs deep to score a first career win over Rafael Nadal. : @TennisTV | @DaniilMedwed pic.twitter.com/GriF4TgDa6 US Open Tennis (@usopen) November 21, 202021 Nov 2020 17.59 EST Like Dominic Thiem, Daniil Medvedev defeated both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal this week to reach the final. This may be a strange, unique year, but this feels like a significant moment. 21 Nov 2020 17.56 EST Daniil Medvedev reaches the final with a 3-6 7-6(4) 6-3 win over Rafael Nadal Over an hour after Nadal served for the match at 6-3 *5-4, Medvedev recovers to pull off one of the biggest wins of his career. He will face Dominic Thiem in the final. Daniil Medvedev is congratulated by Rafael Nadal. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/ReutersUpdated at 18.02 EST21 Nov 2020 17.50 EST Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-7(4) *3-5 Daniil Medvedev Another great hold for Medvedev. He opened with two unreturned serves to reach 30-15, then Nadal netted a backhand. On game point, Medvedev unloaded on a huge winning forehand down-the-line to move to within a game of the final. 21 Nov 2020 17.47 EST Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-7(4) 3-4* Daniil Medvedev After ample effort and three break points, Medvedev breaks. At 30-40, Nadal saved the first break point with a cool ace down the T. He moved up to game point, but was dragged back to break point after consecutive Medvedev passing shot winners. Nadal saved the second break point with a vicious winning crosscourt forehand. However, on the third break point Medvedev broke the monotony of a long exchange by sneaking into the net and eventually nailing his overhead. Daniil Medvedev fires a forehand. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/ReutersUpdated at 18.13 EST21 Nov 2020 17.37 EST Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-7(4) *3-3 Daniil Medvedev Medvedev was pulled back to deuce from 40-15 after a vicious, winning Nadal inside-out forehand scuppered the first break point and then Medvedev missed a lob on the second one. The danger did not last long. At deuce, Nadal netted a forehand and then Medvedev slammed down an unreturned serve to hold. 21 Nov 2020 17.33 EST Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-7(4) 3-2* Daniil Medvedev Nadal holds serve but it was a brilliant game from both with a series of varied points with so much thought into every shot. From 15-30, Nadal pulled off a winning serve and volley. At 30-30, an endless rally followed as Nadal threw in a series of slice backhands before unloading on an enormous backhand down-the-line. Medvedev swatted the game point away with a fantastic backhand down-the-line return winner as Nadal attempted to serve and volley. At deuce, Nadal changed things up with a winning backhand drop shot. He finished with an unreturned serve. Rafael Nadal returns to Daniil Medvedev. Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty ImagesUpdated at 17.35 EST21 Nov 2020 17.26 EST Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-7(4) *2-2 Daniil Medvedev Another hold on the board for Medvedev, this time to 30. Medvedev netted a forehand to pull Nadal back into 30-30. A long rally ensued on Medvedevs second serve, which Nadal ended when he attempted to unload on a forehand down-the-line and sent his strike well wide. Medvedev finished with an unreturned serve. 21 Nov 2020 17.22 EST Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-7(4) 2-1* Daniil Medvedev Nadal keeps himself ahead with an authoritative hold to 30. At 30-15, he drew out another Medvedev error with a series of backhand slices, then he sealed the hold with a big unreturned serve. 21 Nov 2020 17.17 EST Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-7(4) *1-1 Daniil Medvedev Medvedev breezes through his opening service game with a quick hold to love. He opened with an easy overhead winner behind a big serve, slammed down an unreturned serve at 30-0 and closed it off with help from a Nadal forehand error. 21 Nov 2020 17.12 EST Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-7(4) 1-0* Daniil Medvedev Good work from Nadal to clear his first hurdle in the final set, saving break point with a big serve-forehand combination. From deuce, he found two consecutive big serves to hold. Good serving. 21 Nov 2020 17.08 EST That was an astonishing effort from Medvedev, who looked down and out as Nadal served for the match at 6-3 *5-4. Medvedev responded with a top quality series of returns, breaking Nadals serve to love. We know that Medvedev is extremely intelligent and he is very, very good, but it is also nice to see him once more demonstrate his fighting spirit in an important match. Now it is time for Nadal to regroup. 21 Nov 2020 17.04 EST Daniil Medvedev pulls level with Rafael Nadal at 3-6, 7-6(4) An incredible slice of luck proved to be the difference at 4-3 as Medvedev guessed correctly on a big Nadal forehand and then shanked a lob over Nadals head in response. Medvedev followed it up with an unreturned serve at 5-3 to reach triple set point. On the second set point, he closed it off by demolishing an incredible winning backhand down-the-line after a long point. We are off to a third set. Daniil Medvedev celebrates winning the second set. Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesUpdated at 17.08 EST21 Nov 2020 16.59 EST Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-6 (4-2) Daniil Medvedev Medvedev leads by one mini-break as they change ends. At 1-1, Medvedev ended a stunning rally with a huge inside out forehand winner after flipping defence into offence. Medvedev followed it up with an ace to move up 3-1. Then he crushed a glorious jumping crosscourt backhand, forcing a Nadal forehand error. Nadal pegged one point back with a point-ending overhead. Updated at 16.59 EST21 Nov 2020 16.54 EST Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-6 Daniil Medvedev Nadal gets himself back on track with some great serving. From 0-15, he produced a serve-forehand 1-2 punch, then he landed an overhead winner behind a big serve. At 30-15, he landed a big unreturned serve. Medvedev sent a backhand into the net at 40-15. We are off to a tiebreak. 21 Nov 2020 16.49 EST Rafael Nadal 6-3 *5-6 Daniil Medvedev Medvedev restores his lead with a quick hold to 15. After some great serving, he finished with a nice serve and volley. 21 Nov 2020 16.48 EST Rafael Nadal 6-3 5-5* Daniil Medvedev That was a tough service game from Nadal, who lost his serve to love with a forehand shank on game point. Still, brilliant work from Medvedev. Under immense pressure, he landed every return and put Nadal under pressure with suffocating depth the whole time. Updated at 16.48 EST21 Nov 2020 16.42 EST Rafael Nadal 6-3 *5-4 Daniil Medvedev Oh how the tables have turned. Nadal wins his fourth game in a row and, out of nowhere, he will serve for the match! Nadal drew a backhand error from Medvedev at 15-30 with a wicked, low slice. At 30-30, Medvedev handed over another backhand error to bring up break point. Nadal dismounted with a tough of genius, lifting an incredible backhand lob over Medvedevs head. Rafael Nadal hits a backhand. Photograph: TPN/Getty ImagesUpdated at 17.19 EST21 Nov 2020 16.39 EST Rafael Nadal 6-3 4-4* Daniil Medvedev From *1-4 30-40, Nadal pulls level at 4-4 with a great hold to 15. Nadal produced two unreturned serves and a couple of vicious forehands that forced Medvedev errors. Just what Nadal needed. 21 Nov 2020 16.35 EST Medvedev had a point for 5-1, couldn't take it and now Rafa is back on serve thanks to some Rafa magic. One of his great mantras is, when behind, do everything to keep it to one break. Pays off so often. Eleanor Crooks (@EleanorcrooksPA) November 21, 202021 Nov 2020 16.35 EST Rafael Nadal 6-3 *3-4 Daniil Medvedev It looked like Medvedev was heading to a hold after nailing two unreturned serves from 15-30 down, Instead, Nadal pulled him back to deuce with a destructive crosscourt backhand winner after a long, high octane point. Nadal reached break point by just doing enough with his backhand slice after a Medvedev drop shot. Medvedev saved the break point with an ace, but Nadal immediately generated a second with an overhead winner after crunching a series of forehands. On the second break point, Nadal nailed a spectacular angled forehand passing shot winner. Suddenly, we are back on serve. 21 Nov 2020 16.30 EST Rafael Nadal 6-3 2-4* Daniil Medvedev A good hold from Nadal, who had to save a break point after opening the game with some sloppy errors. From 30-40, he saved the break point by drilling a winning backhand down-the-line. From deuce, he found two big unreturned serves to keep himself in the set. 21 Nov 2020 16.24 EST Rafael Nadal 6-3 *1-4 Daniil Medvedev A great service game by Medvedev to retain his break. From 15-15, he crushed a backhand down-the-line winner, confidently navigated the net before finishing with a backhand drive volley winner at 30-15 and then he slammed down an ace at 40-15. Medvedev has still lost only one point on his serve in this set. Daniil Medvedev returns the ball to Rafael Nadal . Photograph: Frank Augstein/APUpdated at 16.51 EST21 Nov 2020 16.21 EST Rafael Nadal 6-3 1-3* Daniil Medvedev Nadal pieces together his easiest service game of the day when he needed it, breezing through a quick hold to love. 21 Nov 2020 16.18 EST Rafael Nadal 6-3 *0-3 Daniil Medvedev In the blink of an eye, the momentum has shifted. Medvedev strolled through a second love hold in a row, this time closing it off with a lovely drop volley after some great serving. 21 Nov 2020 16.16 EST Rafael Nadal 6-3 0-2* Daniil Medvedev It is fair to say that Medvedev has indeed regrouped. He opened the return game with some incredible defence, nailing an angled backhand passing shot before sweeping up the subsequent forehand. At 15-15, he nailed a backhand crosscourt winner. Then Nadal did the rest. After a forehand error at 15-30, Nadal then double faulted on the first break point. An ugly ending. 21 Nov 2020 16.12 EST Rafael Nadal 6-3 *0-1 Daniil Medvedev With 4/4 first serves and plenty of free points, Medvedev breezes through an easy hold to love. Exactly what he needed. Medvedev was playing extremely well and he had actually landed 16/16 first serves until his first serve went missing at 4-3. This is no crisis. He just needs to regroup. 21 Nov 2020 16.08 EST Rafael Nadal takes the first set 6-3 on Daniil Medvedev After a tricky start, Nadal soared in the second half of the set to close it off with three games in a row. From 15-30 down, Nadal found an unreturned second serve, then a winning serve and volley at 30-30. On the first set point, he nailed a brilliant forehand down-the-line passing shot. Nadal still isnt serving great - he finished with 42% first serves in - but it was good enough. Rafael Nadal celebrates winning the first set. Photograph: Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesUpdated at 16.35 EST21 Nov 2020 16.04 EST Rafael Nadal *5-3 Daniil Medvedev After all of his earlier battles, its Nadal who makes the first move, breaking Medvedevs serve to love. Nadal opened with a vicious down-the-line forehand to move up 0-15 and set the tone. At 0-30, Nadal showed astonishing footwork, sweeping around the ball and unloading on an enormous inside out forehand winner. The first break point produced a long, exhausting rally with Medvedev on the front foot as Nadal attempted to draw out an error with a series of backhand slices. Eventually, Medvedev moved forward on a short ball but sent his forehand long. After opening the match with some tremendous serving, Medvedev missed all four first serves and he was punished for it. 21 Nov 2020 15.56 EST Rafael Nadal 4-3* Daniil Medvedev A much simpler hold for Nadal to retain his narrow lead. At 30-15, Nadal once again drew out a netted backhand error from Medvedev with a low backhand slice. Medvedev scuppered the first game point by chasing down a decent Nadal slice and sweeping it away with his forehand. On the second game point, Nadal dragged Medvedev wide with a series of typical crosscourt forehands, eventually drawing an error. 21 Nov 2020 15.52 EST Rafael Nadal *3-3 Daniil Medvedev An unreturned serve and two aces from Medvedev en-route to a quick hold to 15. This is all very easy on his serve so far. 21 Nov 2020 15.51 EST We have already seen a couple of serve and volley attempts from Nadal and, given Medvedevs deep return position, we will see more. He is unsurprisingly trying to mix up his shots as much as possible and particularly to expose Medvedevs flat strokes with his low, biting slice. Just a few too many errors early on from Nadal. 21 Nov 2020 15.48 EST Rafael Nadal 3-2* Daniil Medvedev Nadal once again left himself with some work to do, this time falling down 15-30. He handled it well once again, forcing a forehand error from Medvedev after a tough, physical point at 15-30. At 30-30, he switched things up with a serve and volley attempt, finishing with a lovely backhand drop volley. One further Medvedev forehand error on game point sealed the hold. Rafael Nadal serves to Daniil Medvedev. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPAUpdated at 15.59 EST21 Nov 2020 15.41 EST Rafael Nadal *2-2 Daniil Medvedev No such problems for Medvedev on serve. He breezed through a quick hold to 30, slamming down a serve-forehand combination at 15-15 and then a very nice drop shot winner at 30-15. On his second game point, he slammed down an unreturned serve. 21 Nov 2020 15.39 EST Rafael Nadal 2-1* Daniil Medvedev A really good hold from Nadal, who saves three break points in a fairly long deuce game. After a few sloppy errors from Nadal at deuce to bring up the break points, Nadal saved the first break point thanks to a Medvedev backhand error. On Medvedevs second and third break points, Nadal found two big unreturned serves. At deuce, Nadal switched things up, playing a great drop shot-lob combination before crushing a forehand down-the-line. He finished with another unreturned serve. Good work. 21 Nov 2020 15.27 EST Rafael Nadal *1-1 Daniil Medvedev A very good start from Medvedev, too. He opened his first service game with two brutal backhand winners, one crosscourt and one down-the-line. He reached 40-0 with an ace, then he closed it out with another vicious backhand down-the-line, forcing a Nadal backhand error. Both men are already dialled in. Daniil Medvedev returns the ball to Rafael Nadal. Photograph: Frank Augstein/APUpdated at 15.42 EST21 Nov 2020 15.25 EST Rafael Nadal 1-0* Daniil Medvedev A nice hold from Nadal to begin. We already got a glimpse of what will work for him today. After a forehand error the first point, Nadal responded with a quick serve and volley. We will be seeing much more of him at the net. After being pulled to 30-30, Nadal battered the Medvedev backhand, then swept a lovely inside out forehand winner. At 40-30, Nadal varied his groundstrokes with slices, loopy backhands and heavy forehands. Eventually, a slice drew a backhand error. Updated at 15.25 EST21 Nov 2020 15.19 EST Q. You go up against Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals. How much would you say hes improved since the US Open? I know its a different format, but he seems a completely different player now. Do you know what to expect? RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I dont know if hes completely different player. I dont think nobody is completely different player, no? I think hes playing great, but we cant forget that last year he played amazing too. You know, he played the final in Washington, final in Montreal, winning Cincinnati, final US Open. Then he won in Shanghai and I think a couple more tournaments. So better than this is very difficult, no? Hes playing amazing this year for sure now. He played semifinals in New York and now winning in Paris, and winning two matches here of course he has plenty of confidence and playing very, very high level. But we are in the semifinals of the World Tour Finals so we cant expect another story, no? Playing against the best players in good shape. I know I need to play at my 100% if I want to have chances, and thats what Im gonna try. 21 Nov 2020 15.18 EST Q. Your thoughts going into the semifinal, and obviously its a complete turnaround from last year, but your thoughts going into playing Rafa in the semis. DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Yeah, as I always say, I enjoy playing Rafa, Novak, and Roger. They are idols of me growing up when I first started to be interested in tennis. Basically when I started playing it, Roger was already there I think winning almost everything. Then Rafa came to make his marks, and then Novak came to try to disturb them all the time (smiling). So always great to play against them. Really looking forward to the match. Feeling confident. I think Rafa is also. Played a great match yesterday. I need to show my best tennis to have the opportunity to win. Q. You have kind of mentioned the match against Rafa here last year a couple of times. How much will you think about that kind of in the buildup to tomorrows match or not at all? DANIIL MEDVEDEV: Oh, to be honest, not at all, just in terms of tactics for sure maybe a little bit, remember something from last year, because actually I was close to winning it, but a new match is a new match. Its one year already. So even though we all know who is Rafa, everybody changes. So Im sure he changed few small things in his game. I changed mine. So new match is never the same. You know, even you can play him -- as we say, in round robin you can play, you can win, and then you can lose in the final, something like this. Im just looking for tomorrow and not thinking at all about last year, as I say, except some tactical points of view. 21 Nov 2020 15.17 EST Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev have arrived on-court. We will begin shortly. Rafael Nadal takes to the court. Photograph: John Walton/PA Images As does Daniil Medvedev. Photograph: Toby Melville/ReutersUpdated at 15.31 EST21 Nov 2020 15.11 EST And here are highlights of last years match. It must be said that this encounter should have limited relevance from both. Nadal was still getting back up to speed after struggling with injury in the week leading up to the ATP Finals and Medvedev was exhausted after his efforts in his breakthrough season. 21 Nov 2020 15.11 EST Preamble Hello! Welcome to our coverage on semi-final day of the ATP Finals from the O2 Arena as Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev compete for the second spot in tomorrows final. Earlier today, Dominic Thiem overcame Novak Djokovic in a nervy encounter, squandering four match points in the second set before bulldozing everything in his path from 0-4 down in the third set tiebreak to win. After that rematch of the 2020 Australian Open final, we have a rematch of the 2019 US Open final tonight. Of all the outstanding performers in London, Medvedev has probably produced the highest, most consistent level throughout and he is yet to drop a set. He even had no problems navigating a potentially tricky dead rubber against Diego Schwartzman last night, swatting aside the Argentine without wasting any energy. He is serving, returning, defending and countering at such a high level and this will be extremely tough. Thankfully for Nadal, he is also playing extremely well. Although he was unable to find his best tennis in the important moments, he was one half of one of the highest quality matches of the year against Dominic Thiem, eventually losing in two tiebreaks. Despite a short 10 minute blip from the end of set two, he produced another convincing performance against Stefanos Tsitsipas to secure his place in this semi-final. Nadal, of course, has never won the ATP Finals and every year we have the same discussions over his failure to produce his best tennis indoors. We should talk more about how, particularly in the past two seasons, he has managed to adapt his game on this surface. His heavy topspin may not be as troublesome on this surface but he is producing some of the best serving of his career and he is also taking advantage of his excellent volleys and net sense by moving forward to the net as much as he ever has in the past. He is really fun to watch on this surface and hopefully he will be again today. Lets see who wins.

###CLAIM: several movies such as `` windmills, of, and of the gods '' and `` florence and nightingale '' were made for television. ###DOCS: Charlie's Angels vet Jaclyn Smith has stayed very young looking even though it has been decades since she was a TV pinup. And on Thursday the 75-year-old clothing designer took to Instagram to share one of her tricks for keeping that young glow. The brunette bombshell, who exercises regularly and practices yoga, said a green smoothie can do wonders. Her secret: Jaclyn Smith has stayed very young looking even though it has been decades since she was a TV pinup. And on Thursday the 75-year-old clothing designer took to Instagram to share one of her tricks for keeping that young glowStunning star: Smith is seen far right with Farrah Fawcett, far left, and Kate Jackson, center, in Charlie's AngelsAnd the star even shared the recipe for her magic elixir. 'Heres a recipe for one of my favorite green smoothies!' began the Rage Of Angels star. 'Its delicious and gives me a boost of energy! Ingredients: 1/2 cucumber 1/2 apple 1/4 lemon 1 stalk celery 1 slice ginger 1/4 cup of spinach 1/4 cup of kale Instructions: Add water to cover 1/2 of ingredients & blend. Enjoy!' Cheers: The brunette bombshell, who exercises regularly and practices yoga, said a green smoothie can do wondersBuy this: And the star even shared the recipe for her magic elixir. 'Heres a recipe for one of my favorite green smoothies!' began the Rage Of Angels starSo much green: 'Its delicious and gives me a boost of energy! Ingredients: 1/2 cucumber 1/2 apple 1/4 lemon 1 stalk celery 1 slice ginger 1/4 cup of spinach 1/4 cup of kale Instructions: Add water to cover 1/2 of ingredients & blend. Enjoy!' added the starSMITH'S RECIPE Ingredients 1/2 cucumber 1/2 apple 1/4 lemon 1 stalk celery 1 slice ginger 1/4 cup of spinach 1/4 cup of kale Instructions: Add water to cover 1/2 of ingredients & blend AdvertisementIn the clip she wore a beige sweater with her hair down as she added flattering makeup while in her big, white kitchen of her Los Angeles home. And her white dog made a cameo while in the background. She even showed photos of her ingredients on the kitchen counter. During the video the native of Houston, Texas talked through how she makes the delicious drink. According to webmd, the 'insoluble fiber in leafy greens helps food to pass through your digestive system, reducing issues like constipation and bloating. 'It also helps with bone strength, immunity support and lowers the risk of chronic disease. 'And green smoothies can also lower cholesterol and contribute to better heart health.' This comes after Smith paid tribute to her former Charlie's Angels costar Tanya Roberts who died in January after suffering from a UTI. Jaclyn was Kelly Garrett on the series that aired from 1976 until 1981 and has since become an iconic, cult classic. At home: In the clip she wore a beige sweater with her hair down as she was seen in her kitchen. And her dog made a cameo while in the backgroundIn 2017 Jaclyn - who did all 110 episodes of the show - said she has stayed close to her co-star Cheryl Ladd, who starred as Kris Munroe for 87 episodes. 'We stay close, but time marches on and theres great things to replace it, but its a mix of things: Its fun but yet, also, "Hey, wow, a lot of things have happened." 'A lot good, but some sad things, too: We went through Farrahs illness, and David Doyles passing.' She has always had a great figure: Season One of Hellride in 1976Farrah Fawcett, who played Jill Munroe, died in 2009 after a long battle with cancer. David who played boss John Bosley died in 1997. Smith has an incredible work history. She rose to fame in 1976 on the hit series Charlie's Angels that featured Farrah and Kate Jackson. She was the only actress to remain on the series for all five years when the show came to a close in 1981. Terrific trio: Smith has an incredible work history. She rose to fame in 1976 on the hit series Charlie's Angels that featured Farrah Fawcett and Kate Jackson; seen in 1976Morphing cast: She was the only actress to remain on the series for all five years when the show came to a close in 1981. Seen here with Shelley Hack and Cheryl LaddNext the pinup made several TV movies such as 1985's Florence Nightingale and 1988's Windmills Of The Gods. She also got into fashion, designing clothes for K-Mart, which was unusual during that time. She has kept up the line ever since and expanded to bedding and furniture. In 2003 she revisited Charlie's Angels by appearing in the film with Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz. And she also popped in the latest film version from director Elizabeth Banks, which was a shock bomb at the box office. Jaclyn was seen in the training scene. Smith's last TV movie was Random Acts Of Christmas with Erin Cahill and Kevin McGarry.

###CLAIM: after returning to the uk he started working for sodexo, struggling to adjust to civilian life and considering a kill in 2013. ###DOCS: SAS Australia drill sergeant Jason Fox has spoken about his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression after his horrific experiences on the battlefield. In his book Battle Scars, the former British Royal Navy commando revealed he was medically discharged from the military due to mental health issues in 2012, after fighting in some of the world's most dangerous territories. After returning to the UK, he started working for a company called Sodexo, but he struggled to adjust to civilian life and considered killing himself in 2013. Troubled past: SAS Australia drill sergeant Jason Fox has spoken about his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression after his horrific experiences on the battlefieldFox admitted he hated his day job and was struggling mentally after being discharged from the military. He said he felt he had 'no purpose' in life because he had 'failed as a fighter, a father, a son and a friend'. He wrote: 'My spirit was crushed and the resolve I'd shown throughout my toughest moments in jungle training, or during the harshest of battles, retreated. 'Throwing myself off the edge would end the pain I'd sucked up for the best part of three years, all those dark thoughts and periods of worthlessness finished forever, my loneliness gone.' Military: In his book Battle Scars, the former British Royal Navy commando revealed he was medically discharged from the military due to mental health issues in 2012, after fighting in some of the world's most dangerous territories. Pictured during his military daysFox also recalled another occasion when he'd called a colleague and told her that he was planning on taking his own life, but couldn't remember the incident days later. 'I'd been at the emotional extreme on the verge of suicide, a moment in life that most people would have been scarred by. And yet I couldn't remember any of it,' he wrote. He also spoke candidly about his road to recovery and his therapy sessions with clinical psychologist Dr Alexandra Lagaisse. 'It was only then that I realised the importance of raising a hand of calling for help, of saying, "I'm not okay". But more of us should be thinking that way,' he said. 'Whatever you do, don't stay silent. I did and it very nearly killed me.' He is now one of the instructors on SAS Australia, and is putting celebrities through their paces as they attempt to pass the selection process to join the Army's elite Special Air Service. The SAS Australia contestants include 2018 Bachelorette Ali Oetjen, sporting great-turned-reality TV flop Nick Cummins and former Ironwoman Candice Warner. If you or anyone you know is struggling, contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue

###CLAIM: the spectrum/ipsos poll, taken in october, showed a difference of 53% to 20 in his disapproval rating, from 33%. ###DOCS: Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has won reelection in North Carolina, fending off a challenge from his Republican lieutenant, Dan Forest. Coopers seat was one of Democrats highest-priority governors offices to defend this cycle, but the result wasnt particularly surprising. Although North Carolina is a battleground state and had tilted Republican in the last few election cycles, most polls showed Cooper in the lead. Forest was cutting into that margin as the election approached Emerson polling had Cooper up by 4 percentage points in mid-October, down from 8 in a previous poll but some other polls showed Cooper leading by double digits. North Carolina entered the 2020 election with a divided government, with Republicans in control of everything except the governors mansion. The GOP controlled both houses of the state legislature, both US Senate seats, and nine of North Carolinas 13 US House seats. The governors race was overshadowed by the presidential race in North Carolina as well as a hotly contested US Senate race between Republican incumbent Thom Tillis and former state Sen. Cal Cunningham, a Democrat. But in terms of how the state continues to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, the governorship was just as important, if not more so. Cooper received praise for his response to Covid-19. He closed restaurants and bars on March 17 and has generally provided solid leadership; a Spectrum News/Ipsos poll taken in October showed a 20-point difference between his approval and disapproval ratings (53 to 33 percent). Forest, meanwhile, has been holding in-person events for much of the year, many of them indoors with few masks and little or no social distancing. From the get-go, Dan Forest established himself as someone that was going to take issue with every single thing that Governor Cooper has done, a spokesperson for Coopers campaign told Vox in October. That is totally his campaign strategy: Pretend like the pandemic doesnt exist.Coopers top priorities for his second term include expanding access to Medicaid and raising wages for public school teachers, as well as continuing to address the Covid-19 crisis. His win, however, will not mean much for next years redrawing of North Carolinas heavily gerrymandered congressional and state legislature maps. The state legislature is in charge of drawing the district boundaries, and the governor does not have veto power. Voters walk past campaign signs at the Graham Civic Center polling location in Graham, N.C., Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)Voters walk past campaign signs at the Graham Civic Center polling location in Graham, N.C., Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Democrats flipped two open U.S. House seats that they had been favored to win in North Carolina on Tuesday while Republicans defended two seats that had turned into competitive races, leaving the states congressional delegation with an 8-5 split in favor of the GOP. The congressional races were among key down-ballot races that also included contests that were determining the power balance in the states legislature. Republicans maintained control of both legislative chambers. The key presidential battleground also has a hotly contested U.S. Senate race. And Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper was reelected, defeating Republican challenger Lt. Gov. Dan Forest. ADVERTISEMENTBelow is a look at key down-ballot races for the U.S. House, state legislature, top statewide offices and the state Supreme Court. U.S. HOUSEDemocrats flipped two U.S. House seats after the Republicans who currently hold those seats declined to run for reelection because the boundaries tilted left, while the GOP held onto two other seats in closely contested races. Democrat Kathy Manning beat Republican Joseph Lee Haywood in the Greensboro-area 6th Congressional District, and Deborah Ross defeated Republican Alan Swain in the Raleigh-area 2nd Congressional District. The two seats had previously been in GOP hands before district boundaries were redrawn in 2019 as part of court-mandated redistricting. Meanwhile, two other closely contested races went in the GOPs favor. Republican Madison Cawthorn won the 11th District in western North Carolina, a seat vacated by Mark Meadows, who became President Donald Trumps chief of staff. In the 8th District, which runs along several counties in the southern part of the state, Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson defeated Democratic challenger Patricia Timmons-Goodson, who previously served on the state Supreme Court. Both of those districts had been considered Republican-leaning, but the races proved to be close. Meanwhile, nine incumbents who were favored also retained their seats. Incumbent U.S. Reps. David Price and G.K. Butterfield were reelected, and U.S. Rep. Alma Adams ran unopposed. Republican U.S. Reps. Patrick McHenry, Ted Budd, Dan Bishop, Virginia Foxx, David Rouzer and Greg Murphy all who had been favored to win were reelected. LEGISLATURE:North Carolina Republicans withstood a massive effort by Democrats inside the state and nationally to retake both General Assembly chambers. ADVERTISEMENTElection results on Tuesday showed GOP candidates winning majorities in the 50-seat Senate and 120-seat House so the party could extend control for another two years and retain their conservative policy agenda. Democrats had been on a multimillion-dollar spending push to win several additional seats in each chamber and flip power. The GOP majorities mean Republicans will be able in 2021 to redraw district maps for the next decade based on new census figures. Republicans controlled redistricting in the 2010s. Their maps were almost continuously in court after Democrats and their allies filed lawsuits. Despite several races in each chamber still uncalled due to close, unofficial results, Republicans have won 27 seats in the Senate and 67 in the House. More could be won by the GOP, but Republicans wont obtain veto-proof majorities that they held from 2013 to 2018. That means Cooper will be able to continue to use his veto to check the GOPs legislative activities, as he has for the past two years. COUNCIL OF STATEIn a slate of other top statewide contests, Republican Mark Robinson was elected lieutenant governor, becoming the first African American to hold that position. Robinson, a Greensboro resident who earned notice following a viral video of a gun rights speech he gave, defeated Democrat Yvonne Holley, a state legislator. Other Republican incumbents who won included longtime Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, state Treasurer Dale Folwell and Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey. All 10 offices that comprise the group of top elected officials known as the Council of State were being decided in the general election. ___Find APs full election coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/election-2020 The state has 15 electoral votes at stake in the presidential race. North Carolina was the first in the nation to kick off early voting with absentee ballots sent out on Sept. 4. With nearly two months of early voting, the Tarheel State had the longest early voting period across the nation. Presidential ElectionSenate ElectionGovernor ElectionHouse ElectionThe state has 15 electoral votes at stake in the presidential contest. Polling places are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. State SignificanceNorth Carolina has several close contests. It serves as a true battleground state and often swings. The presidential, gubernatorial and Senate races are all remarkably close. President Donald Trump won the state in 2016, taking the lead over Hillary Clinton by 3%. Trump won by taking suburban and rural counties outside of metropolitan areas, including several counties that voted for former President Barack Obama. The Biden administration and down-ballot candidates hope to take back some of those counties. *Counties are colored red or blue when the % expected vote reporting reaches a set threshold. This threshold varies by state and is based on patterns of past vote reporting and expectations about how the vote will report this year.

###CLAIM: leaders of the liberal democrats sir ed and davey say the latest government wheeze over covid 's certs is the worst in all the world. ###DOCS: AdvertisementCoronavirus laws will remain in place until September after MPs voted overwhelmingly for an extension today, despite a Tory rebellion. The Commons voted 484 to 76, a majority of 408, in favour of keeping the powers in place into the autumn, despite Matt Hancock admitting he cannot rule out trying to renew them again. Kicking off the debate in the Commons the Health Secretary was unable to guarantee it was the last time MPs would be asked to roll-over the powers, which are largely unprecedented in peace time. Boris Johnson suffered a significant revolt on his own backbenches as 35 Conservative MPs voted against the renewal of the Coronavirus Act while a further 20 chose to abstain. Some 21 Labour MPs also voted against. Those who opted to vote against include former cabinet ministers David Davis and Esther McVey. The Tory rebels had questioned why the laws needed to be kept in place for so long when lockdown is due to end in June. The rebellion failed after the vast majority of Labour MPs sided with the Government to support the law - which can only be extended for six months at a time. Mr Hancock told the restive chamber he 'cannot answer' whether the Coronavirus Act will be retired in six months or rolled on, as he opened the debate this afternoon. 'There are parts of this Act that have allowed us to do good things that everybody would like to see like that, and so when we do come to retire this Act, which we must within one year and preferably within six months, we will need to make sure that we can continue to do that sort of thing and make sure that nurses can be enrolled as easily as possible into the NHS,' he said. 'But I cannot answer whether we will be retiring it in six months. My preference would be yes, but given the last year, I think a prediction would be hasty.' Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs, said he voted against the extension of emergency powers, adding: 'A year on we now risk normalising extreme policy responses and an attitude that our fundamental liberties exist for authorities to either grant or withhold.' Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Conservative MP for Chingford & Woodford Green, said he did not support the extension - but he did not vote against the Government. He told LBC he thought six months was 'excessive' and said the Government has 'not yet produced a single reason why they need to get to October'. Conservative MP for New Forest West, Desmond Swayne, criticised the government for seeking 'to retain powers to control aspects of our lives and implement a punishment regime for disobedience'. The Tory MP for South Thanet, Craig Mackinlay, said he thinks the six month extension went beyond the 'already excessively extended' roadmap to June 21 2021. John Redwoord tweeted today: 'Parliament can and should relax more of the restrictions and save more livelihoods. The vaccine success gives us the opening to restore more jobs and businesses.' MP for Stevenage Stephen McPartland called it 'unnecessary and disproportionate'. Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn voted against maintaining the Coronavirus Act. He said: 'The Tories can't be trusted with our civil liberties, and are still not taking the action needed for public health, jobs and livelihoods.' Zarah Sultana, Labour MP for Coventry South, also voted against the act's renewal, saying: 'We need an approach that protects everyone, leaving no-one behind and safeguarding our liberties. 'None of us are safe until we are all safe.' Mr Hancock told the restive chamber he 'cannot answer' whether the Coronavirus Act will be retired in six months or rolled on. Boris Johnson (pictured this morning) will face the wrath of his own lockdown-sceptic backbenchers today as he pushes through an extension of lockdown laws until the autumn. Sir Charles Walker told the Commons: 'As sure as eggs are eggs, we will be back here in six months at the end of September being asked to renew this legislation again.' CRG leader Mark Harper, who believes plans to ease the lockdown 'could safely go more quickly', said the provisions in the Coronavirus Act should be expired 'at the earliest possible opportunity'Boris Johnson suffers Tory revolt on extending Covid powers as 35 Conservative MPs vote against the Government The extension of measures in the Act was approved by 484 to 76, majority 408. The division list showed 305 Conservative MPs and 176 Labour MPs were among those to support it. A total of 10 Liberal Democrats voted against the extension, with former minister Alistair Carmichael also acting as a teller. Seven DUP MPs, Alliance MP Stephen Farry (North Down), Green Party MP Caroline Lucas (Brighton Pavilion) and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn - currently sitting as an independent - also opposed the measures. It came as the latest figures showed that Covid cases rose by 1.5 per cent to 6,397, but deaths fell by 33 per cent to 63, week-on-week. NHS England Chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said the health service's Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (EPRR) coronavirus alert level should be reduced from four to three due to 'reduced acute pressures on the health service'. Mr Hancock's admission prompted a furious response from Tory backbenchers. Theatrical Broxbourne MP Sir Charles Walker told the Commons: 'As sure as eggs are eggs, we will be back here in six months at the end of September being asked to renew this legislation again. It is inevitable and anyone who thinks it's not inevitable is deluding themselves.' The vote came after Mr Johnson had earlier defended the pace of lockdown easing in the face of the rebellion. On a visit to a school in Greenford, north west London, this morning he said: 'The libertarian in me is also trying to protect people's fundamental right to life and their ability to live their lives normally and the only way really to restore that for everybody is for us to beat the disease, and the best path to freedom is down the cautious but irreversible road map that we've set out - that's what the freedom-lover wants,' he said. But Covid Recovery Group leader Mark Harper, who believes plans to ease the lockdown 'could safely go more quickly', said the provisions in the Coronavirus Act should be expired 'at the earliest possible opportunity'. 'The controversial parts, the police powers to detain potentially infectious persons which have (been) used unlawfully on a number of occasions ... those are intended to be long-term powers - and he has also just suggested that these provisions might be rolled forward a further six months,' he said. 'That is why so many of us are worried. These are extraordinary provisions, not for normal times, and they should be expired at the earliest possible opportunity.' Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who opened the debate, replied: 'I actually agree with (Mr Harper) that they should be expired at the earliest opportunity.' Mr Hancock added that if there are 'new variants that we need to absolutely pin down' then 'having these very targeted interventions for now is important'. He continued: 'And I know that we disagree on that point, but I would suggest by voting against all of these renewals, there are a whole load of valuable things that he and I would actually agree on that would not be renewed were that to go through.' Opening the debate on the coronavirus regulations, Mr Hancock added: 'Today we debate our road map to recovery and what is legally needed to take the cautious but irreversible path our of this pandemic. 'We propose to remove some of the emergency powers that the House put in place a year ago and set the steps of the road map that the Prime Minister has set out into law, replacing the existing national lockdown.' He continued: 'The success of this vaccination programme means that we are now able to carefully replace the short-term protection of restrictions we've all endured with the long-term protection provided by the vaccine.' The legislation for restrictions over the coming months, as the Government sets out its road map for coming out of lockdown, will see some restrictions remain in place in England until at least June 21. There are also question marks over summer holidays taking place after that date, amid a third wave of Covid infections in mainland Europe. Boris Johnson earlier defended the pace of the lockdown in the face of the rebellion, during a visit to a school in Greenford, north west London, this morning. Senior Conservative Sir Graham Brady urged MPs to vote against the renewal of the coronavirus regulations and to 'trust the British people and return their rights to them'. Sir Graham, chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs, told the Commons: 'The danger in what is being proposed today is that we risk normalising an extreme policy response.' MP's 'MILK' PROTEST AFTER COVID LAW EXTENSION Sir Charles Walker has told the House of Commons he will 'walk around London with a pint of milk' in protest of Covid restrictions. Sir Charles, who voted against the extension of the coronavirus laws, said that in the remaining days of lockdown he would allow himself 'an act of defiance'. 'I am going to protest about the price of milk,' he said. 'I'm not sure whether I think the price is too high or the price is too low, I shall come to that decision later. 'But for the next few days I am going to walk around London with a pint of milk on my person because that pint will represent my protest. Reform Party leader Richard Tice was joined by Laurence Fox on Parliament Square, both clutching pints of whole milk 'And there may be others who will choose to walk around London with a pint of milk on their person as well. 'Perhaps as we walk past each other in the street out eyes might meet we might even stop for a chat but I was thinking to myself... what will their pint of milk represent? What will their protest be? 'Perhaps they will be protesting the roaring back of a mental health demon brought on by lockdown. Perhaps they will be protesting a renewed battle with anorexia, with depression, with anxiety, with addiction. 'Perhaps with their pint of milk they will be protesting the lack of agency in their life, not being able to make a meaningful decision, maybe a loss of career or job or business. maybe they will be protesting this country's slide into authoritarianism.' Sir Charles added that 'the act of protest is a freedom, not a right, and unless you cherish freedoms every day, they end being taken away from you.' Reform Party leader Richard Tice was joined by Laurence Fox on Parliament Square, both clutching pints of whole milk. Mr Fox replied to a photo of the pair, posted on Twitter, saying: 'The crowds of thousands are just out of shot!' He added two laughing face emojis. AdvertisementHe continued: 'Does the Government have the right to tell people whether they can see their children or their grandchildren, whether they can start a relationship with someone? My answer is an emphatic no. 'But even those who are less certain should reflect on whether this extreme control over people's right to family life, people's intimate relationships, the freedom of association, whether the Government can do these things briefly in an emergency or for over a year.' Sir Graham added: 'The danger is the Government starts to believe that these fundamental civil liberties belong to ministers to grant to us or withhold. 'They do not, they belong as of right to British citizens. It is this habit of control that leads to coercive rules that have no sense in them.' Conservative former Cabinet minister Jeremy Wright said step three and step four of the Government's road map should be merged, with 'almost all' restrictions lifted by May. He told the Commons: 'Now I do not think that we should remove all restrictions in the next 21 days and I will vote accordingly, but I do think that we should combine steps three and four of the Government's road map and remove almost all restrictions in May. 'An entirely precautionary approach is simply not feasible here. We know Covid will be with us for some time, perhaps indefinitely, and we cannot respond to that with indefinite restrictions any more than we would or do in response to the risk of other diseases. 'So although I support much of what the Government has done and is doing in response to the pandemic, I cannot support the continuation of damaging restrictions any longer than I consider they are necessary, which I am afraid is less than the Government propose in these regulations.' 'Draconian police powers under Schedule 21, which have a 100 per cent unlawful prosecution record, must be considered 'redundant' to say the very least. 'I am seeking to table an amendment to the motion tomorrow asking ministers to suspend those powers. 'I now hope the Government can support it.' Conservative former minister Sir Desmond Swayne warned that the renewal of emergency coronavirus powers could lead to 'total social control'. The New Forest West MP told the Commons: 'Now those of us who can spot the trajectory will have seen yesterday that after months of denial, now indeed it will be the case that you will have to provide your vaccination bona fides when you go to the pub. 'And those people who are teetotal imagining that they might be spared that intrusion and inconvenience can dream on, because undoubtedly this will be extended to restaurants, theatres, sporting venues and so proceeding to total social control. 'Did it ever occur to ministers that they might actually incentivise vaccinations? Carrot, not stick. Undoubtedly it didn't, because they can't kick the habit, they are wedded to the stick. 'So let there be no wringing of hands by members of Parliament who vote for oppressive legislation and then wail with indignation when the police actually enforce it. 'So when families are fined thousands of pounds for staying over together at Easter we will know that it was because this House willed it so. 'So those people, those honourable members wishing for these measures to pass tonight should reflect clearly on exactly what it is they wish for.' Pauline Latham (Mid Derbyshire) expressed concerns that the Government is 'moving the goalposts' when it comes to lifting restrictions. Ms Latham told the Commons: 'There have been some remarkable successes in this pandemic but there have been some errors and my view is that we have been moving the goalposts. I think they started at Wembley and they are now nearly at Derby County - and I am extremely worried that if we are not careful, they'll be up in Scotland.' Fellow Conservative Chris Green (Bolton West) added: 'I just wonder whether the European Football Championships which will be held later this year, and the Prime Minister's offer to hold it in the United Kingdom, will actually be used in a sense as a showcase of the Covid certification certificates to show how effective they can be. Coronavirus cases rose in a THIRD of England's 150 councils last week Coronavirus outbreaks grew in a third of local authorities in England last week but the rise was only driven by a huge testing blitz of schoolchildren because of classrooms being reopened. Fifty-six of 149 council areas saw an uptick in cases over the week to March 21, according to the latest surveillance report from Public Health England. But when the figures were broken down by age, they showed infections only spiked week-on-week among five to nine-year-olds, by more than half, and 10 to 19-year-olds, by a quarter. Cases dropped in all other age groups, and are now at their lowest levels since August in the over-70s who are most at risk from the virus. Everyone in the group has been offered at least one dose of the Covid vaccine. Under Boris Johnson's ultra-cautious lockdown-easing plan, schools were reopened to all pupils on March 8. But children and teachers have been asked to swab themselves for the virus twice a week, prompting an inevitable uptick in cases. Experts say this doubling in the number of tests done daily - to around 1.1million every 24 hours - is behind the rise in infection rates, adding that had these tests not been carried out many of these infections would have gone unreported. Dr Yvonne Doyle, PHE's medical director, warned cases appeared to have 'plateaued' in most parts of the country, and were rising in younger age groups. She added: 'We must not drop our guard now after so much effort by so many. We need only look to Europe to see how easy it is for things to take a turn for the worse.' Sir Jeremy Farrar, a top SAGE adviser, warned today it appeared 'transmission was just starting to tick up' across England because schools had reopened. But the Wellcome Trust chief said the biggest threat was from abroad, amid a spiralling third wave in Europe and the mounting spread of dangerous variants including the South African strain that make vaccines less effective. Advertisement'And is this the reason that schedule 22 has been maintained - for that control of people in those sort of events? And will it then be restricted just to those events or could it possibly be widened out further - pubs of course, restaurants, but could it be including public transport, places of work or places of education. 'We have to have these concerns, I am not sure this debate has yet been had and I am not sure these concerns have been decisively ruled out.' Government data up to March 23 shows 28,653,523 people have received a first vaccine dose, a rise of 325,650 on the previous day. A further 98 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Wednesday, bringing the total by that measure to 126,382. As of 9am on Wednesday, there had been a further 5,605 lab-confirmed cases in the UK, bringing the total to 4,312,908. Sir Jeremy Farrar said he believes it is likely that the ban on international travel will need to continue. The Wellcome Trust director said: 'I think it will, until we can see progress in Europe with the epidemic coming down and vaccination rates going up in Europe.' Asked about further testing of people coming in, he said lateral flow tests 'don't pick up every case but they do pick up the cases that are more infectious, and that is a very, very important public health intervention'. On the issue of vaccine certificates and passports, he said he thinks they could cross the line 'of individual freedoms and public health', adding that 'public health works when there is trust and when people want to do things that are their interests, and in the interests of their community, their families and their society'. Mr Hancock said this afternoon that the Government's goal 'is to be cautious yet irreversible'. He told the Commons: 'I must tell the House that whilst I am still by nature an optimist, there remain courses for caution. 'Cases are rising in some areas and they are rising among those under 18. There are early signs of cases flattening among the working age population too. 'I am delighted that uptake of the vaccine is now 95 per cent amongst over-60s and that protection against dying from the vaccine is around 85 per cent. Both of these figures, 95 per cent uptake and 85 per cent protection, both of these are higher than we could have hoped for. 'But while we are confident that we have broken the link between the number of cases and the hospitalisations and deaths that previously inevitably followed, no vaccine is perfect and take-up isn't 100 per cent. 'So that link while broken is not yet severed. New variants also remain a risk because we don't yet know with confidence the impact of the vaccine against the new variants.' Britain could be hit by an 'exit wave' of Covid cases Britain could be hit with an 'exit wave' of Covid when lockdown is lifted but it's unlikely to lead to an uncontrollable spike in hospital admissions or deaths, experts insisted today despite the predictions of a SAGE model released last week. Scientists told MailOnline that while there was 'no doubt infections will rise' when pubs and restaurants reopen and people start mixing again, the vaccines had 'solved the problem of serious disease'. They said that on top of the jab effect, the warm summer months will also curb transmission and stop huge spikes from spilling into the small number of vulnerable people who haven't been jabbed or for whom the vaccines don't work. The comments came after bleak modelling by Government scientists suggested last week there could be a final peak of more than 1,000 deaths a day later in the year even with the immunisation programme steaming ahead. Warwick University researchers, who made the projection, claimed the more infectious Kent variant would continue to spread in high numbers when lockdowns are eased, posing a constant threat to the elderly and ill even with vaccines that cut transmission by 60 per cent, as the Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs do. Britain has vaccinated around 54 per cent of all adults almost 28.7million people. But only 5 per cent of people 2.5million have had both jabs since the mass scheme began last December. That is not far behind Israel's vaccination level when it reopened the economy earlier this month. It had given 52 per cent of the country's 9.3million people their first dose. At the same time, 40 per cent had received their booster shot. The Warwick modelling team, which feeds into the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), has since admitted its estimates were too pessimistic and underestimated how effective the jabs would be at preventing hospitalisation and death. Reacting to their findings, Professor Keith Neal, an epidemiologist at Nottingham University, told MailOnline: 'That model is so wrong and it just shows you what's wrong with models in general.' AdvertisementBoris Johnson admits vaccine passports 'could have a role to play' but not until 'everybody' is offered a jab and WON'T stop beer gardens opening on April 12 - as pubs revolt over 'absurd' idea (despite six in 10 drinkers BACKING it)Boris Johnson has admitted vaccine passports 'could have a role to play' - but not until 'everybody' is offered a jab. The PM said the result of the review into coronavirus health certificates can be expected by April 12, although it may not be possible to roll them out until everyone has been offered a dose. He added it needs to be done carefully because some people have medical reasons they cannot get jabbed and there are 'moral complexities' and 'ethical problems'. Landlords and brewers today revolted over plans for vaccine passports for pubs after it was revealed hospitality venues could be allowed to bar customers who cannot prove they have had a Covid jab or a negative test. Mr Johnson had yesterday told MPs landlords might be given powers to impose tough entry requirements on drinkers and Government sources confirmed this was part of an official review of vaccine passports. While visiting the the Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery in Greenford, west London, today, Mr Johnson told Sky News: 'Obviously we're looking at the issues that are raised by vaccination certification - what can you do? 'Now, in aviation, clearly there are lots of countries are thinking about using some sort of vaccine passport, and I think that there are three basic components. 'There's the vaccine, there's your immunity that you might have after you've had Covid, and then there's testing. So there are three things that could work together. 'No decisions have been taken at all. One thing I will make clear is none of this is obviously going to apply on April 12, when it will all be outdoors anyway. So whatever happens on April 12 will be unaffected. 'All sorts of things are being considered. What we want to do is roll out the vaccine programme and see what that builds in terms of general resistance to the virus. And I do think there is going to be a role for certification. 'What we've said is that we'll be reporting on the work of the certification group in early April, either on April 5 or on April 12. 'I think we need to think carefully about the issues - as I've said before, there are lots of difficult issues because there are some people who for medical reasons can't get a vaccination, pregnant women can't get a vaccination at the moment. 'You've got to be careful about how you do this, you might only be able to implement a thorough-going vaccinate passport scheme, even if you wanted such a thing, in the context of when absolutely everybody had been offered a vaccine.' Industry bosses across Britain said the idea for pubs was 'absurd' and 'unworkable' and signalled they would not ask customers for proof that they had been inoculated or were clear of coronavirus. Pubs could even face a choice between being half-full with social distancing measures in place - or using vaccine certificates so they could open at full capacity, a Government source told the Times. It comes just as the vaccine rollout starts to slow because of supply problems. Younger people now face a longer wait and some inoculation centres are already indicating they will close temporarily next month. Some 28,327,873 adults have had a first dose of the jab, with a further 2,363,684 fully vaccinated. But a shortfall of five million jabs from India and the need to retest 1.7million doses means the rollout will slow down in April. Scientists could recommend the rollout of vaccine passports to encourage people to get the jab, but there are also concerns that the certificates could lead to indirect discrimination among ethnic groups where uptake is low. 'Green pass' vaccine passports have already been rolled out in Israel, which has had a world-beating response to the pandemic with more than half of its 9.2million people already having received both doses of a Covid-19 jab. Britons desperate for a post-lockdown pint at their local beer garden are facing a huge struggle to get a table when outdoor seating areas reopen from April 12 - with some pubs now booked up for months. However not all chains are operating a booking system, with Wetherspoon opening 394 of its beer gardens or terraces on a first-come-first-served basis. Meanwhile MailOnline poll - where Redfield and Wilton Strategies asked 1,500 voters - found 59 per cent of people would back and 19 per cent would oppose businesses such as pubs using vaccine passports. Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks up Downing Street in London earlier this morning with his red box before heading to the school in west LondonFaversham-based brewer Shepherd Neame has 320 pubs in the South East, including the Old Neptune in Whitstable, KentDeltic Group, which is Britain's largest nightclub operator, owns Pryzm nightclub in Kingston, South West LondonMichael Gove said today a system to enter hospitality venues that relied on vaccine status alone 'would not be appropriate'. Conservative William Wragg MP for Hazel Grove - asked in the Commons: 'Does (Mr Gove) still agree with himself in his opposition to Covid vaccine certification to attend the pub, as he expressed on Sky News recently?' Mr Gove replied: 'Consistency is often the hobgoblin of small minds. But my view on this issue is consistent - that a system that relied purely on vaccination would not be appropriate. 'But what would be right was a system that ensured that we could open up our economy to the maximum extent that takes account both of vaccine status, but also of recent test status and indeed potentially also antibody status as well. 'But the best thing to do is to be guided by scientific and clinical advice and then to subject that advice to proper, rigorous, ethical questioning rather than taking an instant, off-the-shelf, instinctive approach.' It follows the troubled rollout of Britain's 22billion Test and Trace scheme, with a cross-party group of MPs saying a fortnight ago that there is 'no clear evidence' it contributed to a reduction in coronavirus infection levels. More than a decade ago there was a campaign to stop the Tony Blair government introducing ID cards, which were scrapped by the Conservative/Lib Dem coalition in 2010 after being seen as infringing civil liberties. On Saturday, Ministers announced a move to allow all pubs and restaurants to erect marquees on their property without planning permission to help boost trade - but Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin called it 'entirely barking'. How a coronavirus vaccine passport for Britons could lookOutdoor service is set to resume for pubs on April 12, and the Government plans to progress this to table-only service indoors on May 17, and a full reopening on June 21 when it is hoped all Covid-19 legal rules will be lifted. Among them was Jonathan Neame, chief executive of the Kent-based Shepherd Neame pub group, who said he would not make having had a coronavirus vaccine a mandatory condition for people to enter his pubs. Mr Neame, speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning, said: 'The whole essence of a pub is that they are diverse and inclusive environments, where everybody, and families in particular, are extremely welcome. 'I mean imagine a scene where a family is reconnecting for the first time after this crisis, where grandpa's forgotten his vaccination certificate, mum is pregnant, and the kids are too young to have had it yet. Who's going to make the judgment on the door to turn away who or what on that occasion? I also think... there are some issues with discrimination. 'I think it's absolutely fine to exclude people where there is a situation of bad behaviour or drunkenness, and that's already enshrined in law, but if you're going to exclude people for what they are, or what they have not done, that's a wholly different issue which does touch on discrimination, civil liberties, and in this case data protection issues.' Mr Neame also said making vaccination a mandatory prerequisite to attend a pub is 'a fairly poorly thought-out idea' which could lead to young staff having to deal with intimidation from customers. He told BBC Radio 4: 'I'm very concerned about the pressure we put on our young people - 50 per cent of people (working) in pubs are under 25 - you're going to force them to make some very challenging judgments, because they're not qualified or trained as door staff, as they might be in the nightclub sector. 'So those people might therefore be subject to intimidation, if people think they are being unfairly discriminated against, and then there's the question about who's going to enforce this - are police going to do random checks? I don't think so, I don't think that's the society we want.' He added: 'This is a fraught with difficulty I think, and it is, in my view, a fairly poorly thought-out idea at this stage.' Patrick Dardis, chief executive of Young's, said: 'We do not support this idea. It is unworkable and the Government should stay clear of it. The Government should focus on encouraging people to enjoy their summer holidays in the UK instead of going abroad. 'This will be a far greater benefit to the economy than opening up the huge risk of bringing Covid variants back to the UK from abroad. It is exactly how the pandemic came to the UK in the first place. We need to ensure mistakes of the past are not repeated.' The chief executive of Greene King, Nick Mackenzie, said: 'Barring entry to customers who haven't had a vaccine would be totally unworkable, add significant cost and make pubs unviable at a time when the industry is planning to start to rebuild after all restrictions are removed from June 21, as detailed in the Government's road map. 'Such a move would be impractical, could be discriminatory and it's unacceptable for our team members, half of whom are under 25, to have to police these measures and deal with the fallout from the significant number of customers who won't have received a vaccine. 'Our industry needs certainty as we work towards a phased and safe reopening from April 12. 'Floating proposals without consultation and full consideration of the implications is disappointing and has a huge impact on the people who work in pubs and just want to get back to serving customers. It's vital the Government sticks to its timetable with a full, unrestricted reopening from June 21. 'While a vaccine passport system may be workable for international travel and large-scale events, it would be devastating for pubs.' Boris Johnson spoke about vaccine certificates today while at the Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery in Greenford, West LondonClive Watson, founder of City Pub Group, said that introducing mandatory vaccines to pubs would be 'absolutely chaotic and discriminatory'. He said: 'If you can't require all hauliers coming into the country to have vaccine passports it is mad to suggest someone might need one to go to the pub. 'It's discriminatory and a lot of people, including myself, have had a vaccine but haven't got a way to immediately prove it. The paperwork would be an absolute nightmare.' Mr Watson added that around 90 per cent of his workforce are under 40 and it would therefore 'not work operationally either'. Pub landlady Mop Draper, from The Compass Inn in Winsor, Hampshire, said the plan was 'unfair', telling ITV's Good Morning Britain: 'You are excluding probably everybody under the age of 40 because by April 12 not everybody's going to have had their vaccine, so you really minimise how many people will be having to come out to the pub.' But she added: 'I would later on, when nearly everybody in the country has had their vaccine, it would be a sensible thing to do, because you've got to protect all your staff, and obviously your customers, but you can't possibly at the moment because you're excluding too many people.' However, Peter Marks, chief executive of the Deltic Group, which is Britain's largest nightclub operator, said young people would 'probably accept' the idea because they already carry ID to get into his venues. He told BBC Radio 4: 'It could work for us, strangely. I know a lot of publicans wouldn't agree with me because they would hate to have this put on their toes, as it were. 'But for us, our demographic would probably accept it. It's a young customer base for us. They already walk around with ID such as driving licence and passports to get into a lot of our venues, and I don't think they'd have a problem with it. 'I'd have one other problem though, and that is that isn't this going to stick another six to eight weeks on before we get chance to open? But I think it's a market forces thing for us, to be honest.' Yesterday, Mr Johnson told the MPs that vaccine certification should not be 'totally alien to us' a stance at odds with statements from some of his ministers that Covid passports were 'discriminatory'. This morning, Labour shadow business secretary Ed Miliband said Ministers should not leave the use of vaccine passports to the 'discretion' of pub landlords if they thought it was the right move for public health. Put to him on ITV's Good Morning Britain that scientists might recommend the rollout of vaccine passports to encourage people to take up the offer of a jab, Mr Miliband said: 'Maybe. I don't think that's really the thing that is going to persuade people to get the vaccine. 'I think we've done brilliantly in this country at rolling out the vaccine and people taking up the vaccine and the key thing is a campaign of persuasion for people to take up the vaccine. 'That is the biggest priority. 'Now, if the Government has got evidence that this is necessary for people to go to hospitality venues, let's look at that evidence. 'That isn't quite what the Prime Minister said yesterday. 'And indeed if it was necessary, why would you be leaving it up to individual landlords? 'If this was really a public health measure, you wouldn't be saying, 'Well, it is going to be a landlord discretion' - you'd be saying, 'This is the Government's view, this is what's safe'. 'So there are many, many unanswered questions about this.' Conservative MP David Davis claimed that a vaccine certificate plan could see 'indirect discrimination' among groups where uptake of the jab is low. He said: 'The impact of this would be discriminatory. Under the law it would be indirectly discriminatory and that is illegal. You may well find that black and ethnic minority communities are less inclined to get vaccinated, well that would be indirect discrimination.' Earlier this week, the former minister told the i newspaper that the plans for vaccine passports were driven by the commercial interests of football clubs and entertainment businesses rather than for the benefit of the public. Mr Davis, who was at the forefront of the successful campaign to stop the Tony Blair government introducing ID cards in the 2000s, said he feared vaccine passports would be linked to an NHS medical ID card that could contain sensitive information about medical history that would violate people's civil liberties. He added: 'There is a lot of commercial interest pushing this - football club owners, theatre owners. We don't want to give up fundamental civil liberties to meet their requirements.' Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the Government's 'latest wheeze' on Covid certificates is 'the worst of all worlds'. He added: 'As well as burdening struggling pubs with extra cost, the idea that businesses can voluntarily bar certain customers, who may not even have been offered a vaccine, is deeply illiberal.' Drinkers outside a pub in London's Soho on October 17, 2020, the first day after the capital was put into Tier Two restrictionsHuman rights barrister Adam Wagner told his podcast Better Human: 'We have a long legal tradition in this country that we don't coerce competent people to have any kind of medical treatment over their objections. There are some controversial exceptions to that around mental health and so. 'And I think there's no appetite for mandating vaccines. But there's a certain point where if you raise the incentives high enough, incentivising starts to edge over into coercion. 'We have to think about the exact nature of these, the uses of these measures to think about whether we're edging into something that approximates coercion.' And Gracie Bradley, interim director of Liberty, told ITV's Good Morning Britain today: 'This is a pretty worrying road to be going down, and I think the reality is now the Government has just been flip-flopping. 'We've had yes vaccine passports, no vaccine passports, Ministers contradicting one another. We've got a review underway by Michael Gove, but at the same time the Government's already said oh yes, we'll use it to open up stadiums, maybe we'll use it to open up pubs. 'And I think it's a real failure of responsibility and it really reminds me actually of the start of the pandemic when the Government told people not to go to pubs, but didn't tell pubs to close, pub landlords were left in a really difficult position. 'And the reality is with vaccine passports is that there's really significant human rights and equality issues at play here, and it shouldn't just be left to individual business owners to try to figure those things out.' And Silkie Carlo, director of Big Brother Watch, told MailOnline: 'The Prime Minister is casually steering us into a society that requires papers just to go to the pub. This is a heinous, coercive and discriminatory vision of segregated life after lockdown that millions of us will reject, whether at pub doors or the ballot box. 'Big Brother Watch will fight Covid passes tooth and nail. To even entertain the idea of a vaccine pass for the pub is Orwellian madness. Boris Johnson has become the most authoritarian Prime Minister in living memory. If he does not draw the line at Covid passports, I shudder to think what's next.' Tom Stainer, chief executive of the Campaign for Real Ale, said: 'Inviting individual licensees to make a decision on vaccination passports is likely to create confusion among customers and potentially discriminate against those who - at the time pubs are due to reopen - may not have been offered a vaccine. 'Pubs have already shown they are one of the safest places to socialise and unless the government is offering additional support, or earlier and full reopening, in return for requiring vaccination passports, it's difficult to see the advantage for licensees or customers.' Also today, a Government minister suggested that the possibility of allowing the use of vaccine passports to for pubs and other venues was outlined as part of the Prime Minister's road map for lockdown easing. Children's minister Vicky Ford was asked today why Boris Johnson appeared to U-turn on vaccine passports during his appearance before the Liaison Committee yesterday. She told Sky News: 'When we set out the road map way back in February to show us the way out of this lockdown, one of the things we said was that there would be reviews of different situations and there was always in that road map a review of the certifications (of having received a vaccine) and use of testing. 'And that review - which looks at how you would use vaccines, how you would use testing to keep settings safe when we go to that widest reopening - that is due before the fourth stage of the lockdown, so it has always been very clear we would be looking at all the different measures in order to take that really widest step.' David Davis claims vaccine passports could discriminate against minority communities Conservative MP David Davis A former minister has claimed that vaccine passports would be 'illegal' and could discriminate against minority communities. David Davis suggested that any plan could face a legal challenge because it would not be fair to those who are reluctant to take up the vaccine. The Government is consulting on whether to introduce a certification system which could also include details on Covid-19 test results. Ministers are reviewing whether certificates could play a role in reopening the economy by reducing restrictions on social contact and improving safety. But Mr Davis told MPs: 'The impact of this would be discriminatory. Under the law, it would be indirectly discriminatory and that is illegal. 'You may well find, it has been said, that black and ethnic minority communities are less inclined to get vaccinated; well that would be indirect discrimination.' He said that the Government should be prepared to subject any plans it has for vaccine passports to full parliamentary scrutiny. Younger people were also less likely to have the jab and 'some people have ethical or religious objections', he told the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee on Tuesday. 'There are a variety of good reasons for people not to take a vaccine. I've had a vaccine and I think most of the reasons are not ones I would subscribe to. But people have that freedom. What this proposal does is, in effect, coerce those people.' He said that if the Government decided to introduce the certificates it should be prepared to table a new law which would go through the full scrutiny process of both Houses of Parliament, rather than as a piece of secondary legislation. 'If we do this it should be primary legislation because it is so serious,' he said. The former minister suggested that the move was being pushed by officials in Whitehall who had long backed some form of identity documentation. 'It seems to me that we are creating a permanent solution for a temporary problem,' Mr Davis said. 'We know that Whitehall loves the concept of identity management, loves the concept of having control of this data.' But it would be 'very antagonistic to our national traditions' in Britain, he said. He also played down the reason for introducing the measures, arguing they were aimed at protecting people who declined the offer of a vaccine rather than society as a whole. AdvertisementMrs Ford said she wanted to wait to see the results of the Government's taskforce review into vaccine passports before expressing an opinion on their use in Britain. She told LBC radio: 'Obviously I want to get back to the pub with my friends as much as everybody else. I know there has been a lot of focus on this today.' Pressed on whether she agreed with asking people to show a Covid status certificate, she added: 'I think we need to wait for that review. 'It has lots of ethical questions, etc, but it is being done, it has been promised that that will be there before that final stage of the lockdown in June. 'It will look at testing and whether or not you should prove you have been tested recently, as well as other things.' Covid Recovery Group chairman Mark Harper said the vaccination programme should signal a return to normality rather than lead to people being required to show proof of vaccination to access hospitality venues. Speaking to Sky News about vaccine passports, he said: 'I actually agree with the Prime Minister - that is the Prime Minister of February when he said that he didn't think there was a case for expecting people to show papers to go to the pub and said there were very significant problems with ethical, moral questions about this issue. I've heard some heads of pub chains this morning set out some of those significant problems. 'The key way we are going to deal with this issue is by vaccinating people, and we've already almost finished vaccinating, with their first doses, the top nine groups who are most vulnerable, who account for 99 per cent of those who died of Covid and over 80 per cent of the hospitalisations. That's how we get out of this.' Yesterday, the Prime Minister was asked about the idea of vaccine passports or certificates being required for entry to a pub at a meeting of the Commons liaison committee. He said: 'That's the kind of thing it may be up to individual publicans, it may be up to the landlord. 'The basic concept of vaccine certification should not be totally alien to us because when you're entrusted with the care of a patient and, say you're a surgeon, you're expected to have a vaccination against hepatitis B. The principle is there.' But William Lees-Jones of JW Lees, which has 42 pubs and hotels, said: 'Vaccine passports are un-British the Europeans might carry identity, but we've never done it, and I think it brings in a whole new level of bureaucracy. 'I wouldn't require my customers to have a vaccine passport. The industry needs to recover, and from June 21 there will be no restrictions in our pubs anyway. 'We're happy to show a passport getting on an airplane, it's reassuring, but the fundamental of a pub is you can walk in, order a drink, and feel at ease. If the Government mandates this, it will be on thin ice.' Dermot King of Oakman Inns, which has 34 pubs, said his 'gut reaction' was that he would not require a vaccine passport, but said he would consider it if it allowed restrictions to be dropped early. He added: 'It would be a lot of administration, and undoubtedly we'd have to keep records and send them. If customers felt safer going out and didn't have to put up with the same restrictions once they'd produced a passport, then it could be worth it. Without those it's just another barrier.' Kate Nicholls of UK Hospitality insisted that visiting a pub, cafe or restaurant should not be subject to vaccination certification. An woman from Hartlepool receives the AstraZeneca/Oxford University Covid-19 vaccine in Middlesbrough on MondayShe added: 'It is simply unworkable, would cause conflict between staff and customers and almost certainty result in breaches of equality rules. 'Through the success of the vaccine rollout we need to throw off the shackles of coronavirus in line with the Government's roadmap not impose more checks on our ability to socialise and do business.' Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: 'Our sector has already gone to extraordinary lengths to prepare for reopening and we do not believe a requirement for pubs to check whether someone has had the vaccine would be appropriate or necessary. 'We will continue to work closely with the Government in developing guidelines for a safe and sustainable reopening in April and May.' And Greg Mulholland, campaign director for the Campaign for Pubs, warned that the idea of pubs policing whether people have been vaccinated was 'both unfair and also absurd'. He said: 'Pubs up and down the country have been without income for many months and already have the real challenge of reopening with restrictions like outdoors only opening and table service, things which make it difficult for many pubs to actually make a living. 'So to now even suggest that pubs might take on the role of policing whether people have been vaccinated is both unfair and also absurd. 'Table service already means pubs having to take on more staff, despite less trade, so to have to take on door staff to check people's vaccination history would be simply unviable, as well as alienating customers. 'Pubs and publicans have shown they are keen to help with the fight against Covid-19 and operated test and trace before the UK Government actually got its act together. 'Licensees and staff are ready to open safely and sensibly get back to being vitally important community hubs, but if the Government really want vaccine passports, then they need to organise this and not try to push the responsibility onto hardworking publicans who still have several challenging months ahead until pubs can open normally again'. James Almond, whose family runs four pubs around Manchester, said: 'I don't think we would be asking people. I'm confident our pubs are safe without the vaccine passport. 'It's too offensive, our industry needs to be hospitable to win back confidence and asking for a passport on arrival is not hospitable. You don't need a vaccine passport to show you haven't got Covid the rest of us are walking around without it too.' Steve Baker, deputy chairman of the 70-strong Covid Recovery Group of Tory MPs, urged Mr Johnson to 'not fall into this ghastly trap' of demanding 'papers for the pub'. He added: 'The Prime Minister began to tread a dangerous path when he opened the door to domestic Covid certificates. 'First they said we'll need them to watch the football, and today that it may be papers for the pub. Whether the state legislates for it, recommends it, or simply allows it the result will be the same: a two-tier Britain.' Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove is considering what requirements hospitality venues could introduce as part of a review into the potential use of vaccine certificates. It is due to report back in June but a decision could come before May 17 when pubs and restaurants will be allowed to serve indoors again.

###CLAIM: worrying data on surging infections, hospital admissions, deaths and infections in the vulnerable 60 to 70 age bracket has rattled young people taking social distance more seriously. ###DOCS: AdvertisementThe UK today announced another 21,242 positive coronavirus tests and the deaths of another 189 people as Sir Patrick Vallance claimed as many as 90,000 could be catching the virus every day. The chief scientific adviser said that numbers are 'still heading in the wrong direction' but also admitted Britain's outbreak appears to be slowing down. Official data this afternoon shows that cases are 12 per cent higher than the 18,980 on Thursday last week the smallest seven-day increase of any day of any day this week while deaths are up 37 per cent from 138. Speaking in a TV briefing alongside Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Sir Patrick showed slides that estimated there are somewhere between 22,000 and 90,000 new infections every day in England. The startling upper estimate comes from a statement prepared by SAGE sub-group SPI-M, which provides regular virus modelling for Sir Patrick and has members known to be in favour of a national circuit breaker lockdown. Office for National Statistics estimates are generally considered to be the most reliable measure, because they're based directly on mass random swab testing of the English population, but they are a fortnight out of date. Last Friday they estimated there were 27,800 new infections per day in the first week of October, including people who never get tested. A new estimate will be published tomorrow and Sir Patrick said he expects the figure to be significantly higher. Sir Patrick also said it appears to now be taking between 14 and 18 days for cases in the country to double, slower than the estimated seven days in mid-September. Then, explaining the new estimate of daily cases provided by SPI-M, he added: 'The modelling consensus suggests that between 53 and 90,000 new infections per day may be occurring. 'Obviously with that number of infections you expect to see an increase in hospitalisations as well. So the number of infections overall across the country continues to increase.' Sir Patrick Vallance said that numbers are 'still heading in the wrong direction' but also admitted Britain's outbreak appears to be slowing downPointing out that numbers of people being admitted to hospitals each day have risen significantly in the last month, he reminded people that admissions will continue to rise as a result of cases that have already happened because of the two-week delay between catching the virus and becoming seriously ill. Despite the chief scientific adviser's now-regular warnings that the outbreak is worrying and will kill many more people, Sir Patrick offered a glimmer of optimism and admitted there are signs of a slowdown. The fact that the R rate remains above one SAGE estimates it to be between 1.3 and 1.5 means that 'the epidemic is still growing,' he said. 'As long as R is above one the epidemic continues to grow and it will continue to grow at a reasonable rate it's doubling, perhaps, every 14 to 18 days unless the R comes below one. 'But I do want to say, there are some areas where we're beginning to see real effects of what's happening. There are some indications [that] amongst young people the rates are coming down or flattening off a bit due to the huge efforts that people have made to try to adhere to these changes in behaviours that we need to have in order to get this down. MANCHESTER TO REOPEN NIGHTINGALE HOSPITAL WITHIN WEEK The NHS Nightingale Hospital in Manchester will reopen in the next week as the city heads into a Tier Three lockdown and hospitals in neighbouring Liverpool are already treating more Covid-19 patients than in April. A local NHS boss today announced the temporary hospital, set up in the Manchester Central Conference Centre, will be brought back into use before the end of next week. It will become the first one in England to reopen. It had closed in June when the first wave of the UK's outbreak burned out, but there are now fears that local hospitals will be inundated with Covid patients again. The Nightingale will not be used to treat people seriously ill with coronavirus but instead opened to add capacity for 'additional rehabilitation'. The NHS Nightingale for the North West was mothballed in June when the last coronavirus patient was discharged The city is entering Tier Three lockdown rules from midnight on Friday after a week of wrangling between the Government and the mayor, Andy Burnham, because the city has one of the highest infection rates in England. There are fears that Manchester's hospitals could start to become overrun with Covid-19 patients after an explosion of infections in late September. In an announcement this morning, Professor Jane Eddleston, the boss of the Manchester University NHS Trust, confirmed the Nightingale would reopen. 'We will be opening the Nightingale, we expect that to be towards the end of next week,' she said. 'The Nightingale will not be used as a critical care facility and neither was it in the first phase, it will be used as a facility for patients to have additional rehabilitation.' Professor Eddleston said there are around 95 people in intensive care beds with Covid-19 in the city, which is slightly more than a third of the 260 at the peak of the epidemic in April. Despite decreases in coronavirus case numbers the NHS has had to provide beds for patients with the disease throughout the summer, she said. The health service in the area has set up Covid-free zones so it can carry on treating other patients. Advertisement'And in some areas of the country we can begin to see a little bit of flattening, possibly. So the measures are having an effect but we're going to need to do more if the aim is to get R below one and to shrink this epidemic.' Adding to evidence that England's outbreak is not spiralling as quickly as it was at the end of September, Public Health England data shows that infection rates in the worst-hit student ares have dropped by half in a week up to October 11. Covid-19 cases among teenagers and people in their 20s were blamed for fuelling the fire of England's second wave of the disease with numbers of positive tests spiralling after universities and schools returned in September. Official statistics show that infection rates have been up to seven times higher in boroughs with large student populations than in the cities that contain them, but data now reveals that cases have plummeted in the five worst-hit areas even though none of them are yet in the toughest Tier Three lockdown rules. In the University Park area of Nottingham, which had the most positive cases of anywhere in England in the week to October 4, the infection rate dropped by a third (32 per cent) the following week, up to October 11. However a staggering four per cent of the area's 11,000 residents still tested positive in that week. While the area had 673 new cases in the week to October 4, this fell to 458 the following week. The equivalent rate per 100,000 people dropped from 6,108 to 4,156. Although there are only 11,000 people in the area the per-100,000 cases is a standardised measure used across the country. The highest for a single city, town or county is 675 per 100,000 in Nottingham as a whole. In Fallowfield in Manchester, the infection rate fell by a huge 71 per cent in the same time, from a rate of four per cent of the population testing positive to one per cent. Cases fell from 542 to 158 in the same time, a rate drop from 4,536 to 1,322 per 100,000 people. The area's population is around 12,000. In Sheffield's Endcliffe and Ranmoor cases fell from 435 to 230 (rate 4,311 to 2,279); in Hyde Park Corner & Woodhouse Cliff in Leeds new positives tests dropped from 377 to 231 in a week (rate 2,714 to 1,663) and in Shieldfield & Heaton Park in Newcastle there were 133 cases in the week to October 11, down from 342 (1,672 per 100,000 to 650). Other student-heavy areas in the worst-affected parts of the country saw significant drops, too, including Rusholme East and Ladybarn in Manchester, with declines of 61 and 64 per cent respectively; Pennsylvania & University in Exeter (down 41 per cent); University & Little Woodhouse in Leeds (55 per cent) and Broomhall in Sheffield (22 per cent). Ministers are becoming increasingly optimistic that worrying data about surging infections, hospital admissions, deaths and infections in the vulnerable over-60s have rattled young people into taking social distancing more seriously. Graphs presented in a TV briefing this week by Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, England's deputy chief medical officer, showed that infection rates among under-30s have turned and are now declining. He warned, however, that the rapid surges in those groups in September have now 'penetrated' the older groups, who are more likely to die if they catch the virus. And Matt Hancock told a weekly 'gold command' meeting of the Joint Biosecurity Centre yesterday that cases are now coming down among young people after weeks of continuous increases. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resisted repeated calls from top scientific advisers for a 'circuit breaker' national lockdown and is sticking to his three-tier local lockdown system, which has so far imposed the toughest levels of restrictions on around seven million people in the North of England, particularly Liverpool, Manchester and Yorkshire. Stoke-on-Trent, Coventry and Slough will all move into Tier 2 lockdowns on Saturday, Matt Hancock revealed today amid fears Nottinghamshire's restrictions will be toughened up. The Health Secretary's announcement in the House of Commons means another 745,000 people will be stung by tighter restrictions, including a ban on socialising indoors. Nearly 40million people across Britain will be living under lockdowns, when all the measures are fully enforced. He also warned that officials are now discussing the prospect of thrusting Warrington in Cheshire into Tier 3 because of a 'continuing rise in cases'. Local bosses in Nottinghamshire are also understood to be thrashing out plans to move parts of the county into the toughest bracket because of spiralling cases. 21 Oct 2020 12.52 EDT Owen Bowcott The justice secretary and lord chancellor, Robert Buckland QC, is facing legal action over a claim that he has breached his duty to uphold the rule of law. Lawyers acting for an Oxford University professor have served a formal, 19-page letter before action on him asking him to explain and justify why the governments internal market bill is not in his view a breach of the law. Another minister, the former advocate general for Scotland, Lord Keen, and the head of the Government Legal Service, Sir Jonathan Jones, have already resigned in protest at the legislation which permits the government to override international law. There have been repeated calls from senior legal figures for Buckland to consider his position as the head of the legal system in England and Wales. He has told MPs and select committees variously that he would go if he found the legal situation to be unacceptable or if it breached domestic law or the independence of the judiciary. The legal challenge to Bucklands position comes from Prof Joshua Silver, an active pro-EU campaigner, who is being represented by the London law firm Edwin Coe LLP and Khawar Qureshi QC. Buckland has been asked to justify why his position is not illegal considering his statutory duty under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, which requires him to respect and uphold the rule of law. The lord chancellor has also been asked to provide a written answer within seven days. If no satisfactory response is received, the letter says, then an application will be made to the high court for an emergency hearing to consider the claim. The Ministry of Justice was asked for comment. Updated at 13.04 EDT21 Oct 2020 12.39 EDT UK-EU talks to resume after Barnier's compromise offer leads PM to abandon five-day walkout The UK-EU trade talks are back on. Only five days after Boris Johnson called them off, No 10 has put out a statement explaining why they are back on. Downing Street is justifying this decision on the basis of what Michel Barnier told the European parliament this morning. As discussed earlier (see 10.55am), Barniers comment about compromise means the EU has now met the three conditions for the resumption of talks set by the UK. No 10 also demanded a fundamental change in approach from the EU. It never defined what this meant, but now it is suggesting that meeting the three conditions set on Friday (agreeing to intensify talks, on the basis of legal text, and on the understanding that both sides were willing to compromise) and accepting UK sovereignty (which the EU never disputed) does amount to a fundamental change. Here is the full statement from No 10. We have studied carefully the statement by Michel Barnier (see 10.55am) to the European parliament this morning. As the EUs chief negotiator his words are authoritative. The prime minister and Michael Gove have both made clear in recent days that a fundamental change in approach was needed from the EU from that shown in recent weeks. They made clear that the EU had to be serious about talking intensively, on all issues, and bringing the negotiation to a conclusion. They were also clear that the EU had to accept once again that it was dealing with an independent and sovereign country and that any agreement would need to be consistent with that status. We welcome the fact that Mr Barnier acknowledged both points this morning, and additionally that movement would be needed from both sides in the talks if agreement was to be reached. As he made clear, any future agreement will be made in respect of the decision-making autonomy of the European Union and with respect for British sovereignty. Lord Frost discussed the implications of this statement and the state of play with Mr Barnier earlier today. On the basis of that conversation we are ready to welcome the EU team to London to resume negotiations later this week. We have jointly agreed a set of principles for handling this intensified phase of talks. As to the substance, we note that Mr Barnier set out the principles that the EU has brought to this negotiation, and that he also acknowledged the UKs established red lines. It is clear that significant gaps remain between our positions in the most difficult areas, but we are ready, with the EU, to see if it is possible to bridge them in intensive talks. For our part, we remain clear that the best and most established means of regulating the relationship between two sovereign and autonomous parties is one based on a free trade agreement. As both sides have made clear, it takes two to reach an agreement. It is entirely possible that negotiations will not succeed. If so, the UK will end the transition period on Australia terms and will prosper in doing so. It is essential now that UK businesses, hauliers, and travellers prepare actively for the end of the transition period, since change is coming, whether an agreement is reached or not. Updated at 12.44 EDT21 Oct 2020 12.22 EDT UK records 26,688 new Covid cases - new daily record, and 25% up on yesterday The UK government has just updated its coronavirus dashboard. Here are the key figures. The UK has recorded 26,688 new coronavirus cases. That is a new daily record, and an increase of more than 5,000 - or 25% - on yesterdays figure (21,331). This time last week the daily total was 19,724. Over the last week there have been 134,606 new cases - up 22% from the total for the previous week. The UK has recorded 191 further deaths. That is down 50 - or 21% - from yesterdays total (241). A week ago the figure was 137. Over the last seven days there have been 1,003 Covid deaths - up 57% on the previous week. In England there were 5,828 Covid patients in hospital yesterday, up from 5,402 the previous day. On Sunday, the last day for which admissions figures are published, there were 870 coronavirus hospital admissions in England - up from 785 the previous days. In the week up to Saturday 6,463 patients were admitted to hospital in the UK - up 39% on the previous week. More than 2m tests were processed in the week up to yesterday - up 11% on the previous week. 21 Oct 2020 11.43 EDT At her briefing earlier Scotlands first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said there were grounds for cautious optimism because new cases were slowing. (See 4.11pm.) This chart, from the Scottish governments coronavirus dashboard, illustrates her point. It shows the seven-day rolling average for positive cases (the green line) going down. Covid cases Photograph: Scottish governmentUpdated at 13.16 EDT21 Oct 2020 11.39 EDT After the vote was announced the Conservative MP Katherine Fletcher said that Mancunians (she was born in the city, but now represents South Ribble in Lancashire) believed in being fair. She went on: Is it in order for [Angela Rayner] to call repeatedly out scum when my colleague was talking (see 3.38pm) and then to fail to retract it or apologise. Today she has shamed Manchester, shamed this house, and she should apologise. Rayner did not respond. Nigel Evans, the deputy Speaker in the chair, said MPs should always use courteous language, and that some of the comments he had heard in the debate had made him wince. 21 Oct 2020 11.33 EDT Labour has just lost the vote on its motion calling for fair economic support for areas under Covid restrictions (see 1.48pm) by 261 votes to 340 - a government majority of 79. 21 Oct 2020 11.24 EDT Sturgeon accuses Johnson of ignoring expert advice as she confirms plan for Scottish five-tier alert system Severin Carrell Nicola Sturgeon has accused Boris Johnson of ignoring expert advice about the need for a Covid restrictions strategy that includes an extreme top level close to the full lockdown imposed in March. Sturgeon confirmed she will unveil a five-tier system of restrictions on Friday that will partly mirror Englands three-tier traffic light system of controls, as Scotlands Covid-19 infections and fatalities climbed sharply to levels not seen since May. She said the Scottish system would start with a zero, lowest tier which is the closest to normality we can reasonably expect to live with until we have a vaccine or a more effective treatment for this virus. After confirming Scotland had passed the 50,000 infections threshold overnight, with 28 new fatalities, the first minister said her government had heeded warnings from Englands chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, that a very tough top tier of controls was needed in extreme situations. She said: The English system starts at medium, which is quite a high level of restriction. We also think we need another one at the top because if you remember when England published theirs, the chief medical officer in England said he thought that the top level was not enough to necessarily get the virus down. We think we need one above that which is not identical to but perhaps closer to a full lockdown, if things got to be that serious. 21 Oct 2020 11.20 EDT NHS England has recorded 94 further coronavirus hospital deaths. There were 37 in the north-west, 27 in the north-east and Yorkshire, 12 in the Midlands, eight in London, five in the east of England, three in the south-east and two in the south-west. The details are here. That is much lower than yesterdays figure (134) but higher than the figure for a week ago today (68). In Scotland there have been 28 further deaths, up from 15 yesterday. Public Health Wales has recorded 962 further cases and 14 further deaths. Yesterday there were 1,148 cases and 10 deaths. A week ago today there were 946 cases and 10 deaths. And in Northern Ireland there have been 1,039 new cases and five further deaths. The details are here. Yesterday there were 913 new cases and three deaths. A week ago today there were 1,217 new cases and four deaths. Updated at 11.32 EDT21 Oct 2020 11.05 EDT In the Commons Anneliese Dodds, the shadow chancellor, is just winding up the economic support debate for Labour. She says MPs have just been told that Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, will be making an economic statement in the Commons to tomorrow. 21 Oct 2020 11.01 EDT The Conservative party has posted this response on Twitter to Sadiq Khan, who earlier accused Boris Johnson of lying about Khans responsibility for the Transport for London deficit at PMQs. (See 1.37pm.) Chris Clarkson, MP for Heywood and Middleton, was speaking when it happened. He accused Labour of opportunism and claimed that many Labour frontbenchers agreed with Kate Green, the shadow education secretary, who he claimed had described coronavirus as a good crisis to exploit. Then he suddenly stopped, and accused Rayner, the deputy Labour leader, of calling him scum. Eleanor Laing, the deputy Speaker who was in the charge, intervened and said any language of that kind was totally unacceptable. Rayner then rose herself, and asked Laing for guidance about what she could do about an MP making claims about the Labour front bench that were not true. She seemed to be referring to Clarksons comment about Green, not his comment about her calling him scum. Clarkson then said that he asked if Rayner had called him scum because thats what he heard. Boris Johnson has several times criticised Green for what she said about not wasting a good crisis, accusing her of seeking political advantage from a virus that has killed thousands. But Green was talking about using Covid as an opportunity to address deep-seated problems. Johnson has made much the same argument himself. This is from the Conservative MP Dehenna Davison. So @AngelaRayner literally just called @ChrisClarksonMP scum in the Chamber whilst he was making his speech about COVID support. Absolutely disgraceful behaviour from the Labour front bench. Rayner needs to apologise immediately. This is not what politics is about. pic.twitter.com/ETbIwj7Vrg Dehenna Davison MP (@DehennaDavison) October 21, 2020

###CLAIM: since 1982, israel has said it supports the development of cordial relations between the two countries, especially in the area of developing mutually beneficial agriculture between the hundreds of thousands of bhutanese human resources. ###DOCS: Israel established diplomatic relations with the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan on Saturday, the Israeli foreign ministry said, in the latest of a string of normalisation deals agreed by the Jewish state. The circle of recognition of Israel is widening, the Israeli foreign minister, Gabi Ashkenazi, said in a statement. The establishment of relations with the Kingdom of Bhutan will constitute a new stage in the deepening of Israels relations in Asia.The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, hailed the agreement, saying in a statement that Israel was in contact with other countries that want to establish relations with the Jewish state. The deal with Bhutan comes days after Morocco agreed to normalise relations with Israel, the fourth Arab state to do so since August. According to some analysts, other countries could follow, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Asian countries traditionally opposed to Israel, such as Indonesia. Ron Malka, the Israeli ambassador to India, said he signed the agreement with his Bhutanese counterpart, Maj Gen Vetsop Namgyel, on Saturday to establish formal diplomatic relations, calling it a historic day. This agreement will open up many more opportunities for cooperation for the benefit of both our peoples, Malka said on Twitter. Historic day! Today & established formal diplomatic relations. I was honored & excited to be part of this historic moment & to sign the official note. This agreement will open up many more opportunities for cooperation for the benefit of both our peoples pic.twitter.com/OBD8esreZQ Ron Malka (@DrRonMalka) December 12, 2020Photographs he posted showed officials from the two countries signing documents and shaking hands with beaming smiles at the Israeli embassy in New Delhi. A joint statement on the deal said key areas of cooperation between the two countries would include economic, technological and agricultural development. It added that the ties between the peoples through cultural exchanges and tourism would also be further enhanced. Israel has supported Bhutanese human resource development since 1982, especially in the area of agriculture development that has benefited hundreds of Bhutanese youths, according to the statement, which highlighted the cordial relations maintained between the countries despite a lack of formal ties. The remote Buddhist kingdom, a country of less than a million people, is wedged between its giant neighbours, China and India. Bhutan has tried to shield itself from the downsides of globalisation, striving for gross national happiness over GDP growth, maintaining a carbon-negative economy, and keeping tourist numbers down with a daily fee of $250 per visitor in high season. The capital Thimphu has no traffic lights, the sale of tobacco is banned and television was only allowed in 1999. Archery competitions, with liberal amounts of the local firewater, are a national craze. But the Land of the Thunder Dragon also has its problems, among them corruption, rural poverty, youth unemployment and criminal gangs. While Bhutan is proud of its cultural and political independence, it also has diplomatic relations with some 50 countries, and knows it will have to open up. The kingdom became a member of the United Nations in 1971. Israels deals in recent months with the four Arab states the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco were brokered by the administration of the US president, Donald Trump, who leaves office in January. Since the UAE and Bahrain deals known jointly as the Abraham Accords, the Gulf states have signed deals with Israel ranging from tourism to aviation and financial services. Bhutan does not have diplomatic ties with any of the five permanent members of the UN security council, which includes the US, according to a US state department bilateral relations fact sheet.

###CLAIM: among the pregnancies are a 24-year-old woman who said perwaiz tried to convince her to have a hysterectomy when she wanted no more children and a woman who got a hysterectomy at 24 after having an ovarian and uterine cyst removed because doctors said it was the only way to address her tubes. ###DOCS: A doctor is accused of years of unnecessary hysterectomies. The women who trusted him want answers. A doctor is accused of years of unnecessary hysterectomies. The women who trusted him want answers. CHESAPEAKE, Va. The last time Brittni DuPuy-German saw her trusted gynecologist, she once again explained that the stabbing, mystery pain in her abdomen had not gone away. It first appeared two years earlier, after she said her doctor, Javaid Perwaiz, surgically tied her tubes. To fix it, he had proposed more surgery three additional procedures in nine months that she said included a hysterectomy when she was 29. But the pain persisted. So on Nov. 8, 2019, at his private-practice office, Perwaiz and DuPuy-German discussed the possibility of yet another surgery, she said. He scheduled an ultrasound for just days later, a sign of the efficiency that DuPuy-German had come to expect from her familys longtime gynecologist. He was her mothers doctor, her sister-in-laws doctor, her best friends doctor. Perwaiz had delivered DuPuy-German and delivered her children. Which is why, when her phone buzzed the day after her appointment, she was shocked by the headline she was reading: Chesapeake doctor tied womens tubes, performed hysterectomies without their consent, feds say.She absorbed the details of the FBI investigation. Her doctor, the news report said, was accused of lying to patients and persuading them to have life-altering surgeries they didnt need. DuPuy-German began doubting everything Perwaiz had told her about her own body. Thats when all of the things that I didnt question before started popping up, she said. As Perwaiz faces trial this week, a year after his arrest, DuPuy-German has received few answers to those questions even as the FBIs investigation expanded and the list of alleged victims grew. There are 29 patients specified in court documents and hundreds of others who contacted authorities after the doctors arrest. DuPuy-German, now 32, is not cited in the criminal case but has filed a lawsuit against Perwaiz. The U.S. attorneys office for the Eastern District of Virginia would not say how many women in total were allegedly mistreated by Perwaiz, but in a recent trial memorandum prosecutors wrote that the identified patients are only examples of the scheme to defraud.The case, which authorities said was launched in 2018 after a hospital employees tip, first hinged on one charge each of health-care fraud and false statements. Federal prosecutors now allege that Perwaiz executed an extensive scheme spanning nearly a decade that endangered womens pregnancies, robbed their ability to conceive and pressured them into unnecessary procedures based on unfounded cancer diagnoses and exams using broken equipment. The more procedures Perwaiz performed, authorities said, the more money he made off insurance companies. He used the profits, according to prosecutors trial memorandum, to support his lavish lifestyle.Perwaiz, who is jailed without bond, pleaded not guilty. He has not spoken publicly about the allegations but defense attorneys said in a court document he is prepared to defend himself at trial. His lawyers in the criminal case have not responded to multiple requests for comment, but have argued unsuccessfully in numerous motions to dismiss that, among other things, some charges were duplicative. The attorney representing Perwaiz against DuPuys civil suit declined to comment. Among the more than two dozen former patients who shared their experiences with The Washington Post, many said they feel betrayed by Perwaiz, ashamed for trusting the doctor and angered to learn that in his past he had been convicted of tax fraud and fired for surgical misconduct. Others are exasperated because they say they raised red flags about Perwaiz for years. Perwaizs trial in federal court in Norfolk could give some of these women a chance to see the doctor confronted about the pain prosecutors say his patients endured. For others, it will mean reliving surgical trauma and mourning the possibility of a child they were never able to have. And for some, no trial will be able to answer lingering questions about the surgeries Perwaiz performed and whether they were necessary. The offices where Javaid Perwaiz worked in Chesapeake, Va. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)He was a family friendTo many patients, Perwaiz seemed the composite of an ideal doctor: kind, soft-spoken, affirming and endorsed by women they trusted. Over a nearly 40-year career in the Hampton Roads area, he treated women at his two private-practice offices and at least three hospitals. His website touted his surgical skills as unparalleled. Perwaiz offered same-day appointments and accepted most insurance providers, including Medicaid. He cared for multiple generations in families. I would see him in the grocery store and he would give me a hug and ask, How are the babies? said Jo Anne Lindsay, 74, a patient for nearly 20 years. He was a family friend.Perwaiz delivered Lindsays grandchildren and was a frequent customer at the Mercedes-Benz dealership where her husband worked. She has stood by Perwaiz and described him as a professional, caring physician. Perwaizs lawyer, Lawrence Woodward Jr., told the Associated Press last fall that he received a multitude of emails from Perwaizs patients praising him. His life has been his work, Woodward told the AP. But prosecutors say the man known to many as a committed town doctor had been misleading women about their health. Between 2010 and 2019, Perwaiz billed insurance companies more than $2.3 million for gynecological care partially justified by diagnostic procedures he never performed, prosecutors allege in the indictment. They say he falsified medical charts of unsuspecting patients to justify high volumes of unnecessary surgeries including hysterectomies, dilation and curettages, and the removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes. Perwaiz frequently rushed women into permanent sterilization procedures by inaccurately saying they could be easily reversed, according to the indictment. Prosecutors say the doctor backdated sterilization consent forms to make it appear as if his patients had signed them 30 days before their procedures a Medicaid requirement when they had not. He also is accused in the indictment of repeatedly inducing preterm pregnancies without medical reason to align with his hospital shift. Witnesses described a frenzied environment in which hospital staff struggled to keep pace with Perwaiz as he rushed from procedure to procedure, according to his arrest affidavit. Javaid Perwaiz, seen in an undated photo from Western Tidewater Regional Jail. Given that he had faced allegations of surgical misconduct decades earlier, some patients wondered why that volume of surgeries didnt draw scrutiny sooner. I dont understand why, if he was doing all these surgeries on people ... it could have gone on for so long, said Karen Lane, a longtime patient. How could they have not known?Perwaiz first became an OB/GYN and established his private practice in 1982. Surgeries he performed that same year were soon called into question. While on staff at Maryview Hospital, Perwaiz allegedly performed 11 hysterectomies on women in their 20s, 30s and early 40s without medical reason, according to state records. The hospital fired Perwaiz citing poor clinical judgment, unnecessary surgery, lack of documentation and discrepancies in recordkeeping, the records show. The Virginia Board of Medicine, which also took up the allegations, had the power to revoke or suspend Perwaizs license. Instead, it chose to censure him chastising his bad note-taking and condemning his lack of judgment for engaging in a sexual relationship with a patient. In a 1984 letter describing its decision, the board did not address the claim that Perwaiz had performed unnecessary surgeries, nor did it place limitations on his license. The documents do not say whether Perwaiz refuted the allegations. Over the next decade, the doctor grew his private practice and saw patients at two other hospitals, including Chesapeake General Hospital, where in 1995 he was president-elect of the obstetric staff, according to news reports at the time. That same year, Perwaiz was charged with federal tax fraud for allegedly making $158,300 in personal purchases including Oriental rugs, lingerie and porcelain fixtures then deducting them as business expenses on his taxes, according to news reports. Perwaiz also allegedly bought a Mercedes-Benz and a red Ferrari, claiming them as business malpractice insurance and an ultrasound machine. He pleaded guilty to two of six counts, a conviction that again brought him before the Board of Medicine in 1996. His medical license had been automatically revoked after his guilty plea, but the board reinstated it this time with stipulations and supervision. While under the boards watch, Perwaizs admitting privileges were briefly suspended then reinstated at Chesapeake General, now known as Chesapeake Regional Medical Center. Perwaiz also returned as a staff member at Maryview Hospital, which monitored his surgical cases. The hospital would later change its name to Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center and name Perwaiz its chair of obstetrics and gynecology, according to news reports. At the time of his arrest last fall, authorities said Perwaiz was affiliated with both hospitals. A spokesperson for Maryview declined to answer questions about Perwaizs surgical cases, whether patients or staff had filed complaints about his conduct or if his cases had previously been reviewed. The spokesperson said the hospital is conducting an internal investigation. Along with Perwaiz, Chesapeake Regional Medical Center is a target of DuPuy-Germans lawsuit, which alleges the hospital did not properly monitor the doctors surgical cases. A lawyer representing Chesapeake Regional denied those claims in a statement, citing privacy concerns that prevented the hospital from further discussing DuPuy-Germans care or Perwaizs performance. The attorney, Jason R. Davis, said the hospital has an established and thorough system" for evaluating doctors with admitting privileges. DuPuy-German contends that system failed, alleging in the suit that hospitals have the responsibility to be "the best, and possibly only, check on incompetent surgeons in the medical community.The Board of Medicine also holds those powers but records show that Perwaiz did not tangle with them again after 1999, when his license was fully reinstated. The Board wishes you well in your future endeavors, it said in a letter at the time. Years later, Virginia began requiring all board-certified doctors to report felony convictions to their profile page on the Board of Medicine website, where their appearances before the board also are listed. But DuPuy-German never knew to look. Had I ever heard anywhere that he was punished, she said, I definitely would have gotten other opinions before rushing into surgery. But I didnt know.From left, Brittni DuPuy-German with her daughters Adelynn DuPuy, 10, and Elliana DuPuy, 13. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)I just blindly trusted himIn the weeks after Perwaizs arrest, DuPuy-German checked in with women in her life who were also his patients. Her mother told her she had undergone dozens of procedures over decades. And her sister-in-law said she believes Perwaiz may have removed an ovary and fallopian tube without her knowledge. At the same time, DuPuy-German began revisiting her own experiences. Like the women described in news reports, DuPuy-German was on Medicaid. Like them, she said, she had never seen her ultrasound images or been offered medication as an alternative to surgery. Her appointments, she said, always followed the same swift routine: checkup one week, ultrasound the next, surgery just days later. Makes me wonder... she texted her friend. So DuPuy-German, like hundreds of others, requested her medical records. Still confused by her mystery pain, she found a new doctor and was stunned by what she learned. DuPuy-German said her new physician told her that, according to her charts, Perwaiz had diagnosed her with endometriosis a painful disorder in which tissue that normally lines the uterus grows outside of it. DuPuy-German said she had no idea. Questioning their care Angela Lee, 61 Patient in 2002 Perwaiz suggested performing a hysterectomy on Angela Lee, then 42, in order to treat the heavy periods she was experiencing, she said. After he warned her the issue could turn into cancer, she said she agreed. Days after the procedure, she started bleeding intensely, and was rushed in an ambulance to a different hospital, she said. There, a doctor performed emergency surgery, she said, and she was placed in an induced coma for three days. A doctor later told Lee her bowel had been punctured during the hysterectomy, she recalled. She still does not know whether the hysterectomy was necessary. Shamai Watkins, 45 Patient from 1998 to 2013 Shamai Watkins first started seeing Perwaiz for her annual exams, she said, when he told her a pap smear revealed cancerous cells. The diagnosis kicked off a string of surgeries that left her feeling a stabbing, twisting pain, she recalled. Perwaiz blamed the pain on fibroids, and said a hysterectomy would be the only solution, Watkins remembers. She agreed, but said she later learned he had persuaded her with misleading information about her reproductive organs. The surgery took away her ability to have another child, she said, but did not eliminate the pain. Donna Manson, 51 Patient from 1997 to 2007 In the decade that Donna Manson saw Perwaiz, he performed six surgeries on her none of which helped stop the intense bleeding she was experiencing, she said. The procedures only made her periods worse, she recalled, and caused a sharp, cramping pain that lasted for years. He never suggested medication as an alternative to surgery, Manson said. After he tried urging her to undergo a hysterectomy, she left his office. She said a new gynecologist offered her medication and hormone treatments instead, and told her many of her surgeries may have been unnecessary. But the new doctor also told her that she might not have endometriosis at all, she said, and told her the pain may have been due to nerve damage from her surgeries. [Perwaiz] didnt give me a plan of what he was going to do, DuPuy-German said. I just blindly trusted him.Other former patients also told The Post they have reevaluated their care, including a woman who said Perwaiz tried to convince her to get a hysterectomy she did not want when she was 24 years old; a woman who wanted more children but agreed to have her ovaries and uterus removed because the doctor said it was the only way to address the cysts he said she had; and a mother of three who asked Perwaiz to tie her tubes only to learn about a year later she was pregnant. Karen Lane was 33 when Perwaiz told her in 2000 that she needed emergency surgery to remove her uterus, she said. She had been experiencing heavy bleeding after a minor procedure weeks earlier, and her blood count was running low. Lane had hoped to have more children. But Perwaiz said her life was at risk, Lane remembers, and she believed him. Karen Lane said Javaid Perwaiz told her she needed surgery because her life was at risk, and she believed him. (Julia Rendleman/The Washington Post)Just a year later she returned to Perwaizs operating room so the doctor could remove cysts he told her he found on her ovaries, she said. When she awoke, Lane recalls him telling her he had to remove both her ovaries, because the cysts were wrapped around them. She was thrown into early menopause and suffered terrible night sweats. Until last year, she believed it all was necessary. Then she learned of Perwaizs arrest. I thought, that cant be me, Lane said. It couldnt be me.She, too, requested her medical records, and wept in a hospital parking lot as she read what Perwaiz had written in her chart that Lane had very strongly expressed that if there is any problem of disease on either ovary, she wants both of them removed regardless of her age and the need for subsequent hormone therapy.Lane said she never consented to that. Ive never been raped, she said, but I feel like Ive been raped.Other women have questioned Perwaizs care for years, including in at least eight lawsuits. All but one were eventually dismissed or stalled after years of inactivity. One was filed by Juanita Bryant, a mother of four who agreed to have both her ovaries removed in March 2003 after Perwaiz said he found a mass on one of them, according to her lawsuit. But after a car accident years later, she said she learned both ovaries and a mass were still in her body. She underwent another surgery to remove them. Perwaiz countersued, and after years of litigation both sides agreed to a dismissal. Bryant said could no longer afford to fight in court. Bryant still suffers from pain she blames on the times she was gutted out, she said. She cried as she explained how the surgeries and legal fight left her depressed and put a strain on her marriage. To this day, she said, I dont feel like a woman.Juanita Bryant. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)My life was supposed to be within my controlOf the hundreds of women who reached out to law enforcement or to malpractice lawyers, only a few will be part of the doctors criminal trial. Donna Ingram-Allen said she expects to be one of them. She hopes to tell a jury what she told prosecutors, and what she has been trying to tell medical malpractice lawyers for years: That Perwaiz gave her a surgery she did not ask for. That she a Medicaid patient and a Black woman felt she was taken advantage of by a doctor she trusted. I was nothing but a means to an end for him, she said. When Ingram-Allen first started seeing Perwaiz in 2012, she was in remission for Stage 3 breast cancer. Perwaiz told her an exam had revealed precancerous cells and that she needed a hysterectomy, according to Allen and the indictment. But the mother of two thought that was too extreme, so she said she agreed to an outpatient surgery to remove only her ovaries. She awoke afterward in horrendous pain, she said, and was shocked to learn that Perwaiz had performed a complete abdominal hysterectomy. Three days later, she was rushed back to the hospital with blue skin. She was septic, she said, and her kidneys were shutting down. Ingram-Allens bladder had been perforated several times during her hysterectomy, she said her new doctor told her. [Perwaiz] lied about what I needed and what was done to me, Ingram-Allen said. My life was supposed to be within my control.After her recovery, numerous malpractice lawyers declined to take her case. So Ingram-Allen enrolled in paralegal classes at a community college and filed a lawsuit on her own. It was ultimately dismissed because she improperly filed the paperwork. But years later, it caught the attention of federal agents. She is among the women identified in an indictment charging Perwaiz with more than 60 counts of health-care fraud, making false statements related to health-care matters, aggravated identity theft and forfeiture. Ingram-Allen said she sees her case through the lens of the historic mistreatment of women of color by doctors. Her experiences, she said, have reminded her of the forced sterilizations of Black, Latina and Native American women in the 20th century, generations of abuse that continues to cause distrust of the medical field. Its continued, Ingram-Allen said, in so many different domains.For Lane, the trial could bring some of the validation she has yearned for. She said malpractice attorneys would not take up her case, telling her the surgeries had happened too long ago. The FBI never called her back, she said. But part of her also dreads reliving those experiences, she said, wondering about the child she might have had, the pain she might have avoided. Just last month, Lane, now 53, learned she is on the verge of osteoporosis. She thinks it could have been caused by the many years her body lacked its natural hormones due to her early menopause, she said. Medical studies show that estrogen deficiency is a pivotal cause of bone loss. I feel like my body is 20 years older than it should be, Lane said. If he had left me alone ... what would have happened?The outcome of Perwaizs trial also wont change the fact that DuPuy-German still has pain in her abdomen. Weeks of medication made no difference, and her new doctor told her the cramping could be the result of nerve damage from the surgeries performed by Perwaiz. Physical therapy has helped some, but the pain may be permanent. I dont know what was really wrong with me, DuPuy-German said. Nobody knows what he really did.Photography by Matt McClain/The Washington Post and Julia Rendleman for The Washington Post. Some subjects also provided family photos. Design by Tara McCarty, CeCe Pascual and Junne Alcantara. Jennifer Jenkins also contributed to this report.

###CLAIM: now virtual schools have proven effective in solving the much bigger challenge of becoming the ideal format for problem students, providing a safer option for students who want to stay away from a crowded setting. ###DOCS: As the school year progresses and districts continue to reopen, many students are still learning virtually. With the number of COVID-19 cases always fluctuating and so-called health experts continued insistence that the Wuhan virus poses a serious threat to students and educators, there is little reason to see this situation changing soon. Even if cases do decline and a vaccine is distributed, we are unlikely to see virtual schooling go away. Besides providing a safer option for students wanting to stay away from a crowded setting, virtual school is now proving to solve a much bigger challenge that has hampered public schools long before the virus: It has effectively become the ideal format for problematic students. This is no small matter. School leaders and teachers have long struggled with students who proved unmotivated, uncooperative, or unable to do the work usually a combination of all three. These students disrupt classrooms, antagonize teachers, take up the time of administrators and counselors trying to help them, and often fail their classes by the end of the grading period. Whether educators admit it, these students determine the schools success more than any other factor. The more problematic students there are, the worse the school. To counteract this, public school districts use a variety of strategies to manage these students, usually to the detriment of the other students. Teachers lighten the workload and keep assignments engaging (translation: easy and not educational). Curriculum and textbook writers for the district try to keep pace and dilute their material, featuring high-interest texts (translation: below grade-level and politically leftist) and time-consuming projects that are graded subjectively. Administrators relax discipline standards by introducing programs such as restorative justice (which treats misbehavior through counseling strategies, not punishment) and bouncing students referred to the office right back to the classroom. Even with such measures in place, many problematic students still continue their downward trajectory and take everyone with them. In their wake are lower standards, fewer expectations, and a multitude of unhappy teachers and students. They also cost more money. Students who cant behave or do their work ultimately necessitate alternative disciplinary campuses, credit-recovery programs, after-school and weekend detention sessions, truancy courts and officers, various committees and meetings, counseling sessions, remediation programs, and endless loads of paperwork. For anyone who wonders where all the funding for public schools goes the U.S. average is $12,800 per student a large percentage is allocated in some way to disciplining struggling students. Online Education Lessens AccountabilityVirtual learning is offering a way out of this dismal setup. Now those students who hate school have a choice to stay home and receive credit for doing less than the bare minimum. They can dawdle and misbehave all in the comfort of their own bedrooms. They dont need to ask the teachers permission to go to the restroom for the umpteenth time, nor will an administrator confront them when they roam the halls and visit their friends in other classes. Naturally, district leaders will assure parents there are still accountability mechanisms: Teachers will take attendance, assign work, and take grades. Unfortunately, not all teachers will have the wherewithal nor their administrators permission to fail, write up, or mark a student absent. Why should they? If the teachers look like theyre doing their part, and the student looks like hes doing his, no one will really question how much learning is really happening. That said, it is only fair to acknowledge that most students and teachers do act in good faith for now, at least. Some families choose virtual learning because of legitimate concerns for their childrens health, and they follow through with completing their work and logging into their Zoom sessions. Some dutiful teachers take responsibility for their virtual classes and hold students responsible for attendance and grades. Unfortunately, as it becomes increasingly apparent that there isnt much accountability if a student stops cooperating or a teacher stops noticing, that good faith will dissolve and the virtual class will become a pointless charade that mainly attracts low-performing students. Already, the virtual option has positively affected the general atmosphere of physical school campuses. Not only are in-person classes much smaller to comply with social distancing recommendations, but they are much more restrained, mature, and even collegial. The students who normally disrupted the class, bullied their peers, vaped in the bathrooms, and took up the time and patience of teachers and principals are mostly at home. What educators thought would be a massive headache of asking students to wear their masks and keep six feet apart has been relatively easy; the students simply do it. Virtual School Is Exposing Bugs in the SystemAt some point, the reality of this two-tiered system will become evident. Once standardized testing resumes and it has with the PSAT administered last month those paying attention will start to see a growing gap in performance between virtual students and in-person students. Perhaps this will encourage some schools to stop offering virtual classes, as it has in Texas, but the convenience and popularity of keeping a virtual option might make it permanent even after the threat of COVID-19 subsides. It falls to parents to make the right choice for their children and insist on in-person schooling as soon as possible. The low expectations and lack of accountability will inevitably take a toll on even the best students. Only a physical classroom, teacher, and classmates will make learning and intellectual progress real; with virtual classrooms, learning remains largely theoretical and imaginary. Even if virtual learning results in a GPA boost, which can attract some of the more grade-conscious students, that number will soon become meaningless when it clashes with assessment data. Quite unexpectedly, virtual school is offering a real choice to students who want a traditional education with reasonable standards and expectations. Unencumbered with problematic students, many public schools might even be able to compete with private and charter schools that have always benefited from this fact. For the first time in decades, American families will finally see what is possible when all schools truly become places of learning instead of glorified daycares. It will be a great day for motivated students, educators, parents, and even the problematic students at home, who might be forced not to take their schooling for granted. Auguste Meyrat is an English teacher in the Dallas area. He holds an MA in humanities and an MEd in educational leadership. He is the senior editor of The Everyman and has written essays for The Federalist, The American Conservative, and The Imaginative Conservative, as well as the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture. Follow him on Twitter

###CLAIM: his versatility, not peerless, has led to sales of more than 15 times his money ( 105 million dollars ). ###DOCS: Colin the Caterpillar first darkened M&Ss shelves in the autumn of 1990, mere weeks before Margaret Thatcher stood down as prime minister. Its too simple to put the timing down to coincidence. The symbolism was obvious. Here was an anthropomorphic chocolate sponge log ready to hold the nations hand through the coming decade. The lady wasnt for turning; the new guy wasnt for turning into a butterfly. In a confusing and fast-changing Britain, Colin has been a continuity figure. The stubbornly larval national icon has been at the centre of a row this week. On Thursday it was reported that M&S had lodged a legal complaint against its discount rival, Aldi, whose Cuthbert the Caterpillar, it claims, besmirches Colins good name. Its sad to see Colin dragged through the mud like this, but he has always been a quietly provocative figure. As usual, it boils down to class. Colin is the perfect example of that faux egalitarianism beloved of middle England. Supermarkets are one of the many ways in which we stratify ourselves, and it follows that their familiar products are ambassadors of a certain way of life. Ah, Colin the Caterpillar, you think, popping him into the basket. Theres something we can all get behind. Its misleading. You know what youre getting with a Colin: chocolate casing, Smarties-encrusted shell; soft, safe sponge. But at 7, he is an exclusive cake, quintessentially Tory. All the same, theres no disputing that he represents a high point of British treat design, from his slightly too thick white face down to his little white shoes. Wherever there is a colleague leaving, a friends birthday forgotten until the last minute, an ever-so-slightly awkward child there youll find Colin, as staunch a chocolate yeoman as you could hope to meet. Even the name, Colin, is a shorthand for honest reliability. Firth, Jackson, Montgomerie. Nobody called Colin has ever made anyone truly angry, except that dweeb in The Secret Garden, and nobodys been annoyed to see a Colin the Caterpillar. Especially not his owners. His peerless versatility has led to more than 15m sales, amounting to 105m in todays money. In the animal character foodstuff game, he bows only to his shelfmate Percy the Pig. Such profitable innovation was always going to attract copycaterpillars. The question we should be asking is not how M&S chanced on a caterpillar as the perfect shape for a cake, but why cakes were ever made in other shapes. Not only are caterpillars one of the few completely cylindrical animals, but their furry exteriors give them a friendliness unmatched in the insect world. Whats more, their segments lend themselves to knifework, and their life of obsessive leaf-munching psychologically primes the recipient for gluttony. Cuthbert the Caterpillar cake from Aldi. Photograph: AldiIn some ways its surprising M&S didnt take action sooner. More mysterious is why it has gone for Aldi. Every major supermarket has its own caterpillar cake, named to suit its brand. Tesco has Curly: simple, effective, a bit route one. Asda has Clyde, which sounds like someone came up with it on a hangover. Waitrose has Cecil, who you just know has strong views about Classic FM. Sainsburys deviates from the alliterative rule to offer Wiggles, which violates a key principle and brings off-puttingly to mind the movement of the insect. (As an aside, its curious that every chocolate caterpillar sounds like a war poet.) Why is M&S picking on Aldi rather than the others? I think we know: its German. Ultimately the Colin row is not simply a supermarket looking after one of its key players. It goes to the heart of the kind of country we want to live in. If Britain is truly open for business, our supermarkets ought to welcome these invigorating market forces, which should lead to better cake for all. Cuthbert is an obvious expression of the early Facebook instruction to move fast and break things.The government talks a lot about encouraging this kind of entrepreneurship. If M&S has faith in its product, it should have nothing to fear from these knock-offs. By aggressively litigating, it is sending a message: get your Cuthbert tanks off Colins lawn. Its protectionism, pure and simple. M&S claims that Cuthberts superficial similarities to Colin mislead customers into thinking they are getting a product of equal quality. At just 4.99, it says, the Cuthberts cant hope to match Colins sophistication, but ride on the coat-tails of a more established rival. It reeks of insecurity, as if there is a suspicion that perhaps when it comes to chocolate caterpillar cakes, form is as important as substance. Rather than cocooning itself behind lawyers and trademarks, M&S ought to be capitalising on its decades of experience and superior brand reputation to stay ahead of the caterpillar field. If its product is so much better, the customers will work that out for themselves. Let them eat cake. We await the outcome of the dispute. Aldis social media team has been hard at work with a #freecuthbert campaign, calling M&S snitches and saying they will be Colin their lawyers. There can be no neutrals in the coming war. On the one hand is snooty, conservative Colin, hiding behind an old brand resting on its ancient innovation. Then theres Cuthbert, the radical newcomer, cheekily taking an existing idea and making it cheaper, giving the customers what they want. Pick a side. No wriggling out.

###CLAIM: it comes after the couple celebrated their one-year anniversary with a meeting on the red carpet of the bachelor last month. ###DOCS: The Bachelor's Locklan 'Locky' Gilbert gushed over his girlfriend Irena Srbinovska as they enjoyed a romantic date in Melbourne on Tuesday. The 31-year-old shared a video to Instagram of the loved-up couple enjoying a picnic while on a boat cruise. 'I wish I could turn back the clock. So I'd find you sooner and I could love you longer,' he captioned the sweet post. Head over heels in love! The Bachelor's Locky Gilbert (right) gushed over his girlfriend Irena Srbinovska (left) on TuesdayIt comes after the couple celebrated their one year anniversary after meeting on the red carpet of The Bachelor last month. Locky shared a photo of himself and the brunette cuddled up on a beach picnic date in Tasmania at sunset, with a helicopter in the background. He wrote in the caption: 'WOW! 1 year since I met this amazing, caring and supportive woman. Sweet: The 31-year-old shared a video to Instagram of the loved-up enjoying a picnic while on a boat cruise and wrote:'I wish I could turn back the clock. So I'd find you sooner and I could love you longer'He continued: 'Also crazy, crazy enough to put up with my antics. She told me on that night to follow my heart and that is just what I did and it lead me to the happiest I have ever felt in my life.' Locky chose Irena after brutally dumping Bachelor runner-up Bella Varelis. Last month, Irena revealed she 'can't wait' to settle down with her beau. 'She told me to follow my heart and that's what I did': It comes after the couple celebrated their one year anniversary after meeting on the red carpet of The Bachelor last monthIn an Instagram Q and A, a fan asked: 'Have you and Locky talked about having kids and getting married?' 'Yes we have. Locky is my forever love, I can't wait to be his wife and to have some babies with him,' she wrote in the caption. 'But we are not engaged yet and don't worry I won't be able to keep it a secret for long when it does happen,' she clarified. They've been inseparable since The Bachelor finale aired in September. And on Thursday, Locklan 'Locky' Gilbert revealed he would love to star on Channel Nine's The Block with his girlfriend Irena Srbinovska. During an Instagram Q&A, one fan wrote: 'You should go on The Block'. Return to TV? The Bachelor's Locky Gilbert has revealed he would love to star on Nine's The Block with his girlfriend Irena SrbinovskaLocky said: 'We would love to do The Block. We both love renovating, it's right up our alley.' 'But oh my god the fights, do you really want to watch that?' Irena agreed, adding: 'We would kill each other.' It comes after Locky gushed over his girlfriend Irena as they enjoyed a romantic date in Melbourne on Tuesday. Response: During an Instagram Q&A, Locky said: 'We would love to do The Block. We both love renovating, it's right up our alley. But oh my god the fights, do you really want to watch that?' The 31-year-old shared a video to Instagram of the loved-up couple enjoying a picnic while on a boat cruise. 'I wish I could turn back the clock. So I'd find you sooner and I could love you longer,' he captioned the sweet post. Locky chose Irena after brutally dumping Bachelor runner-up Bella Varelis. Smitten: Fans will remember Locky brutally dumped Bella Varelis in The Bachelor finale last year. He instead pursued a relationship with her rival Irena Srbinovska, telling her: 'Irena, I'm so in love with you. And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you'Last month, Irena also revealed she 'can't wait' to settle down with her beau. In an Instagram Q and A, a fan asked: 'Have you and Locky talked about having kids and getting married?' 'Yes we have. Locky is my forever love, I can't wait to be his wife and to have some babies with him,' she wrote in the caption. 'But we are not engaged yet and don't worry I won't be able to keep it a secret for long when it does happen,' she clarified.

###CLAIM: the 35-year-old, who said the australian fashion industry had become completely diverse in the past 15 years, was speaking to the daily telegraph 's confidential. ###DOCS: Called for brands to include more Indigenous Australians in campaignsHe acknowledged 'so much' has changed since he first moved to AustraliaA male model says the Australian fashion industry lacks diversity and he had to overcome racial profiling to become successful. Jeff Francis Kissubi, who is black and born in France, called out the 'whitewashed' modeling industry of his adopted home. 'The Australian fashion industry still lacks diversity especially being in a multicultural country but we breaking them boundaries,' he wrote alongside a reel of his shoots on TikTok. Jeff Francis Kissubi, a Black model from France, took to Tiktok to call out the whitewashed modeling industry Down Under - where he is currently livingMr Kissubi also spoke out about the lack of diversity to his 12,000 Instagram followers'When the modelling industry in Australia told me I don't have what it takes to be a model. So I became the model they could never claim.' Mr Kissubi, who is represented by Brazen Models and Greg Tyshing Represents Global, also spoke out about the lack of diversity to his 12,000 Instagram followers. 'Here is to five years in the industry, I remember vividly when I sent my application to give it a go and man I was wrong and the rejection was hard,' he wrote. 'And I would honestly be lying if I didn't point out how backwards the Australian fashion industry was back then.' Mr Kissubi acknowledged 'so much' has changed since he moved to Australia in 2016, but said there was still a long way to go for inclusivity. 'Brands should focus on representation of the minority in the country instead of the majority that has had the spotlight for years and ages,' he said. '[It's so refreshing to see a new face and body size, gender etc that is not set around the standard of what we see beauty and representation in this country.' The Frenchman called for brands to make greater strides in including indigenous Australians in campaigns, but to avoid doing so in a 'performative' way. Last month Cambage shared two of the images of athletes approved by the Australian Olympic Committee ahead of this year's games, alongside critical comments blasting them for a lack of diversity. The two-time Olympian later added she would 'sit-out' the Tokyo Games until she felt the inclusion issue was addressed - but later walked back that threat. 'If I've said it once I've said it a million times. How am I meant to represent a country that doesn't even represent me?,' she wrote on Instagram with the hashtag 'whitewashedaustralia'. She also added: 'Australia wake the f**k up. I'm not playing these games anymore'.

###CLAIM: hey joe, dunford is the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff so why aren't you in the tank saying you're not a real service? ###DOCS: Illustrations by Mike McQuadeImage above, clockwise from top left: A U.S. Army Special Forces sniper, 1991; the aftermath of Operation Eagle Claw, the failed U.S. rescue operation in Iran, 1980; a marine during the invasion of Grenada, 1983; Captain Vernon Gillespie Jr. in Vietnam, 1964; soldiers on patrol at Camp Victory, in Somalia, 10 days after 18 Americans were killed during the Delta-led Battle of Mogadishu, 1993. *This article was published online on March 12, 2021. Updated at 7:17 p.m. ET on March 12, 2021. Within the span of a few decades, the United States has utterly transformed its military, or at least the military that is actively fighting. This has taken place with little fanfare and little public scrutiny. But without any conscious plan, I have seen some of the evolution firsthand. One of my early books, Black Hawk Down, was about a disastrous U.S. Special Ops mission in Somalia. Another, Guests of the Ayatollah, about the Iran hostage crisis, detailed an abortive but pivotal Special Ops rescue mission. U.S. Special Operators were involved in the successful hunt for the drug lord Pablo Escobar, the subject of Killing Pablo, and they conducted the raid that ended the career of Osama bin Laden, the subject of The Finish. By seeking out dramatic military missions, I have chronicled the movement of Special Ops from the wings to center stage. Big ships, strategic bombers, nuclear submarines, flaring missiles, mass armiesthese still represent the conventional imagery of American power, and they absorb about 98 percent of the Pentagons budget. Special Ops forces, in contrast, are astonishingly small. And yet they are now responsible for much of the militarys on-the-ground engagement in real or potential trouble spots around the world. Special Ops is lodged today under the Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, a combatant command that reports directly to the secretary of defense. It has acquired its central role despite initially stiff resistance from the conventional military branches, and without most of us even noticing. It happened out of necessity. We now live in an open-ended world of competition short of conflict, to use a phrase from military doctrine. Theres the continuum of absolute peace, which has never existed on the planet, up to toe-to-toe full-scale warfare, General Raymond A. Tony Thomas, a former head of SOCOM, told me last year. Then theres that difficult in-between space.SOCOM, whose genealogy can be traced to a small hostage-rescue team in 1979, has grown to fully inhabit the in-between space. Made up of elite soldiers pulled from each of the main military branchesNavy SEALs, the Armys Delta Force and Green Berets, Air Force Combat Controllers, Marine Raidersit is active in more than 80 countries and has swelled to a force of 75,000, including civilian contractors. It conducts raids like the one in Syria in 2019 that killed the Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and carries out drone strikes like the one in Iraq in 2020 that killed Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani. It works to locate hidden nuclear-missile sites in North Korea. Using conventional forces is like wielding a sledgehammer. Special Ops forces are more like a Swiss Army knife. Over the years, the U.S. has found out just how versatile that knife can be; the flexibility and competence of Special Ops have proved invaluable. At the same time, the insularity and elitism of these units have bred a culture with elements that some of their own leaders, to their credit, have described as troubling, and that have, in certain instances, evidenced contempt for the traditional values of Americas armed forces. Much of SOCOMs action takes place in secret. Most Americans are unaware that it has been active in a country until the announcement that its forces are being withdrawn. Or until something goes wrongas in Niger in 2017, when four Special Ops soldiers were killed in an ambush. Notably, its continued growth has been spurred by both success and failure. And perhaps because Special Ops is such a flexible tool, that growth has enabled the U.S. to multiply the way it uses force abroad without much consideration of overarching strategy. The advent of nuclear weapons, in the 1940s, presented leaders with urgent ethical and strategic imperatives. Defining the purpose of such weapons automatically demanded fresh thinking about the bedrock values of a democracy, the nature of multilateral alliances, the morality of warfare, and the scope of U.S. ambitions in the world. Because of its sub-rosa nature, Special Ops has not compelled the same kind of reckoningand, in fact, may foster the illusion that a strategic framework is not necessary. Its good to have a Swiss Army knife. And yet even a versatile knife can do only so much. How did Special Ops come to occupy such a central role in American military operationsand even foreign policy? The history of its rise is telling. In a defense establishment where each branch already sells itself as one of a kindThe few. The proudthere has been long-standing institutional distaste for a separate elite force, one that siphons off experience and talent and that is first in line for difficult missions. President John F. Kennedy bucked this convention when he stood up the Green Berets. It was a bright idea that burned out in Vietnam, where an initial commitment of Green Beret adviserswho did more than adviseescalated into a full-blown war, with more than 500,000 American troops deployed at its peak. The Green Berets survived as an elite unit, but many ambitious Army officers considered a berth in Special Forces a career-killer. Then came the Iran hostage crisis, in November 1979. Two days after Iranian students stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Americas top brass convened in the Tank, a subterranean conference room at the Pentagon, to consider how the military might respond if President Jimmy Carter ordered it to act. Something called the Delta Force already existed on paper. It was the brainchild of Colonel Charlie Beckwith, a profane, hard-drinking, stubbornly tenacious Army officer who had served briefly with the British Special Air Service in Malaya. He had agitated so long to create a similar multipurpose commando unit within the U.S. military that he had alienated many up the chain, which helped explain why he was still a colonel when he retired. But in the mid-1970s, two spectacular rescue missions captured the headlines. A special Israeli unit stormed an airport in Entebbe, Uganda, in 1976, rescuing more than 100 passengers who had been taken from a hijacked airliner. * A year later, a special German unit did much the same in Mogadishu, Somalia. Beckwiths stock abruptly rose. When the Tehran embassy was seized, Delta Force had yet to undertake a mission, and the challenge posed was beyond any imagined for it. Rescuing scores of American hostages from a city of hostile millions who gathered regularly to chant Death to America, situated hundreds of miles from any potential staging area, was nothing like storming a parked airliner. But Carter wanted a military option. Obviously, we dont want to do this, said Major Lewis Bucky Burruss, Beckwiths operations officer, as he briefed the brass in the Tank. The if we must plan he outlined was a bold and daring Rube Goldberg scenario. The bottom line was plain: Were not ready. Months later, they had to be; Carter was desperate. A new plan had been drawn up, only marginally more plausible. Choppers would deliver the Delta team to Tehran and then would pluck the team and the rescued hostages from a stadium near the embassy. They would all be flown to an airfield secured by a company of Rangers. Eagle Claw, as the mission was called, never cleared the first hurdlegetting to Tehran. The only helicopters large enough for the job couldnt be refueled in-flight, so the choppers had to perform a complex nighttime rendezvous in the Iranian desert with tanker aircraft. An accident at the landing site ignited a fireball that killed eight servicemen. The mission remains one of the most humiliating failures in American military annalsa failure that became the impetus for expanding Special Ops. In the aftermath of Eagle Claw, an investigation known as the Holloway Commission found the Pentagon woefully unprepared for daring, joint, pinpoint missions. It revealed a crippling lack of interservice and intergovernmental cooperation. Mission planners had had to plead to obtain blueprints of the embassy compound in Tehran. The Navy pilots flying the helicopters across the desert had not even conducted the practice runs the planners had requested. As a remedy, the Holloway Commission recommended the creation of a Joint Special Operations CommandJSOC, as it would be known. The service branches hated the idea. Admiral James Stavridis, a former U.S. supreme allied commander in Europe and a man who spent his entire career in the conventional ranks, told me, The Navy didnt want to give up the SEALs, and the Army didnt want to give up the Ranger battalions, and the Marine Corps wouldnt even talk about it. The services fought it and fought it and fought it, at every level.Once created, JSOC was treated like a poor stepchild. In the end, a staff of 70 was dispatched to Fort Bragg to handle administrative chores. The group was given Delta Force, a SEAL team, and a rotating Ranger battalion for specific missions. A Special Ops helicopter unit was created. But JSOC depended on haphazard funding and relied on a grudging chain of command for missions. Nuclear weapons presented leaders with urgent moral and strategic imperatives. Special Ops has not compelled the same kind of reckoningand, in fact, may foster the illusion that a strategic framework is not necessary. That is how things stood in October 1983, when the U.S. invaded Grenada, a tiny island in the Caribbean. Its Cuba-aligned Communist government had collapsed, and its leader, Maurice Bishop, had been murdered. Saying he feared for the safety of 600 American medical students at the islands St. Georges University, President Ronald Reagan had ordered the military to seize control of Grenada and bring the students home. Rescuing hostages being its prime focus, JSOC was a key player in the invasion, which was over fast. It was celebrated as a rousing success by the Reagan White House. But within the military, it was seen as an embarrassment. General Thomas, now 62, was then a lieutenant who went in with the first wave. He had been a West Point cadet when the disaster in Iran had unfolded, and had no idea then how important that episode would prove to be for the military or for himself. But in fact he would be present for nearly every major U.S. military action of the next four decades. The Grenada invasion, he said, was a clown show. JSOC had to rely on tourist maps for the most part, because military topographic maps were not available. Four SEALs drowned on a preinvasion reconnaissance mission. Cuban and Grenadian military personnel were known to be on the island, but no one knew exactly where or how many, or what kind of arms they had. Teams meant to be working together were unable to communicate because radio frequencies had not been coordinated. We were lucky we were not up against the A team, Thomas acknowledged. Thomass platoon was part of an assault on the Calivigny barracks, where several hundred Cuban and Grenadian forces had reportedly retreated for a last stand. The attackers were crammed into four Black Hawks, as many as 15 Rangers in each helicopterI mean, just ridiculous loads, Thomas recalled. We came skimming in over the ocean and had three out of the four helicopters crash, Thomas said. Three more people died. No Cubans or Grenadians were at the barracks. Major General Richard Scholtes, who had been the JSOC commander at the time of the operation, testified about these and other failures in a closed session of a Senate Armed Services subcommittee in August 1986. Senator Sam Nunn called the testimony profoundly disturbing, to say the least. And then he did something about it. The disaster in Iran had led to JSOC. The mistakes in Grenada led to SOCOM. Thanks to an amendment sponsored by Nunn and Senator William Cohen, Special Ops got its own management and its own budget. Its annual budget today is about $13 billion, which is a sacrosanct 2 percent of all military outlays (and roughly what it costs to build an aircraft carrier). The Nunn-Cohen amendment also gave SOCOM clout. From now on, Special Ops would be headed by a four-star general or admiral, and its mission began to expand. In 1987, Stavridis was a lieutenant commander on a cruiser stationed in the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Earnest Will, the largest naval-convoy mission since World War II. It was guarding Kuwaiti oil tankers, which were a lifeline for Saddam Hussein, who was then locked in a seven-year war with Iranand being supported by the United States, his future enemy. The tankers were being preyed upon by Iranian forces. Special Ops teams used American ships as platforms to disrupt and counter Iranian attacks. Stavridis was impressed. It was the first time that we really started to see them in the field, he recalled. The Kuwaiti ships had to be boarded and protected, which was not the kind of work the regular Navy did. We, the NavyBig Navyhadnt boarded a ship in a century, Stavridis said. These guys were trained to do that ... as opposed to me trying to grab a bunch of boatswains mates and hand them a .45 and say, Follow me! Special Ops was the star of the 1989 invasion of Panama, an operation that went as smoothly as Grenada had gone badly. A Delta team located the dictator Manuel Noriega, and helped capture and bring him to the United States for prosecution as a drug trafficker and money launderer. Thomas was then a Ranger company commander. He called Panama JSOCs graduation event. Leaders began to find new uses for Special Ops. When Saddam invaded Kuwait, in 1990, President George H. W. Bush gathered an allied coalition to drive the Iraqis out. That effort, Desert Storm, would be a throwback to conventional warfarea clash of big armies. But an opportunity for Special Ops quickly arose. In a meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Colin Powell, the chairman, handed a report to General Wayne Downing, a former Ranger and then JSOCs commander. Powell said, This just in from the Israelis. Iraq had begun firing Scud missiles at Israel from mobile launchers in the vast western-Iraqi desert. The Israelis were preparing an effort to find and destroy them, something Powell wanted to forestall. If the Israelis entered the war, it would offend Arab states and possibly cripple the coalition. Can you do that? Powell asked Downing. Could he take out the Scuds? Within days, JSOC teams were camped in remote desert observation posts, launching attacks on Iraqi missile columns from the air or swooping in across the sand in six-wheeled combat vehicles, looking like the pirate gangs of Mad Max. Questions would be raised later about whether these attacks were taking out real missile launchers or decoys fielded by Saddam, but theres no doubt that the results achieved were fast and dramatic, and kept Israel off the battlefield. The results were also on film. We lucked out and came right on a Scud launcher two or three days after we started, Thomas recalled. The assault was filmed from a helicopter, which flew lower and slower than the jets that provided most of the footage viewed at headquarters. JSOCs imagery was as intimate and vivid as a video games. After the first Scud launcher was destroyed, Downing played the tape at a briefing for General Norman Schwarzkopf, the commander of allied forces, who was struck by the immediacy and detail. Norm said, Whoa, whoa, is this a training tape from back at Bragg? Thomas recounted. And Downing said, No, this was up by al-Qaim last night in northern Iraq. Search-and-destroy became another SOCOM specialty. Experienced SOCOM soldiers were early adopters of new technology, often buying equipment off the shelf that was not available through normal supply lines. As in most other fields, modern telecoms would transform war-fighting. In December 1998, Thomas had what he called a sensor-to-shooter epiphany in the closed back of a truck near Vrsani, a village in northeastern Bosnia. Then a lieutenant colonel, he was in command of a JSOC Delta squadron. The mission was manhunting. Thomas and the squadron had been tracking Radislav Krstic, a one-legged Serbian commander in the Yugoslav wars who had been indicted a month prior by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, in The Hague. Thomass unit had been watching Krstic for days. Surveillance drones were still in the future, but Thomas did have a helicopter with a high-speed camera. It fed a live picture to a Sony television that Thomas held on his lap. His truck was hidden in a thicket about 200 yards from a road he knew Krstic would use. German special forces had provided a snarea net made of sturdy elastic that could capture even a speeding vehicle. Top: Former SOCOM Commander General Raymond A. Tony Thomas, at MacDill Air Force Base, in Tampa, Florida, 2017. Bottom: Images from Hand-to-Hand Fighting, a U.S. Army Special Forces manual. (Mandel Ngan / AFP / Getty; U.S. Army Institute for Military Assistance)Gunplay was a possibility, so Thomas had a list of strict no-go scenarios, among them the presence of local police, Russian troops, or children. As Krstics vehicle neared, first a Russian convoy approached, then a local military-police vehicle. Both passed by. Finally a school bus rolled into the picture. The effort seemed snakebit. At last, on the screen, Thomas watched the school bus clear the zone, with only seconds to spare. Execute! he ordered. Krstics vehicle was caught in the net, and he was taken without incident. Thomas would be teased about the episode: an entire Delta squad to capture a one-legged Serbian? What stuck with him was how much more useful the screen had been than his own two eyes. Without the overhead view covering the whole stretch of road, he would have aborted the mission. It occurred to him: This is where we are going in the future. Live video feeds were just the beginning. When Stanley McChrystal took over JSOC, in 2003, the U.S. invasion of Iraq was eight months old. Special Ops teams were still hunting Saddam and other high-value targets when a new enemy arose: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a jihadist known as The Sheikh of the Slaughterers. His followers were setting off bombs in crowded places, attacking American soldiers, and kidnapping infidels and beheading them in horrific videos posted online. McChrystal was known as a relentless striver. Gaunt, hollow-eyed, and intense, he was famous for his ascetic discipline. He turned his task force into the most efficient hunter-killer force in the world, and a model for the entire command. McChrystal is not Sun Tzu. But in sizing up his adversary and responding creatively, he remade JSOC, and ultimately SOCOM itself. He recognized that the ability to digitize informationaudio files, video files, maps, texts, emails, phone calls, documentscould steer him rapidly to targets. Like most innovations, McChrystals was resisted, including by SOCOM itself. He wanted to expand and alter his mission, adding an array of expertisein some cases, requiring civilian contractorsthat had nothing to do with traditional soldiering. He explained the situation to me in a way that both made his position understandable and underlined the institutional imperatives that push in one direction only. Inside my command, there were a bunch of people saying, We need to pull back to the States and wait until theres a hostage rescue or something like that, and well do our specialized mission, McChrystal said. And I told them, Hey, if were not here doing a significant part of this, were not going to be able to claim our elite status and be first in line for resources and priority. There was also resistance from agencies whose support he needed, notably the CIA, which balked at moving interrogators, analysts, software engineers, and imagery experts out from under their direct control. But McChrystal got what he wanted. His refurbished, tech-assisted team found, fixed, and finished Zarqawi himself with an air strike at one of his hideouts north of Baghdad in June 2006. By that time, his terror network had been decimated. His death was important in the moment, but it also illustrated the limits of even a highly skillful application of force. The insurgency persisted and ultimately morphed into ISIS. McChrystals remarkably successful efforts were less of a factor in reversing the wars direction than General David Petraeuss surge, in 2007. What McChrystal had done was give SOCOM an amazingly potent new tool. And people noticed. Money, McChrystal recalled, was available for whatever he needed. The very definition of JSOC changed, again. It was no longer just elite operators or shooters descending from silent choppers; it had become what a business-school case study might call a fully integrated intelligence-and-assault network. But as McChrystal acknowledged, there would always be skeptics, within SOCOM and elsewhere, who believed that we ought to go back to being a tiny group of people. And, as he also acknowledged, a revolution in Special Ops tactics isnt the same thing as strategic wisdom, or success. Obama told the commanders, Maybe the best thing we can do is mow the grassmanage the problem around its edges. Special Ops gave him the option of mowing the grass, at least for a time. Hostage rescue, manhunting, search-and-destroy missionsthese had become the U.S. militarys active pursuits worldwide. Other events secured SOCOMs status. The most dramatic was the killing of Osama bin Laden, in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in 2011. After the CIA traced his location, a SEAL team penetrated Pakistans air defenses and hit his compound. Thomas was second in command on that mission, under JSOCs Admiral William McRaven, who became SOCOM commander later that year. Despite his background leading shooters, McRaven promoted the softer side of the command, long a major part of its portfoliothe Green Beret teams of people who were familiar with local languages and cultures, knew how to build ties with communities, and had the diplomatic skills to serve as advisers rather than call all the shots. That approach found a receptive audience in President Barack Obama, who was trying to crush emerging terror threats while at the same time lower American troop levels overseas. SOCOMs small units would steer the battle against Islamist networks in Africa and Asia, working primarily through local armed forces. Its intelligence network and aerial assets would give Kurdish, Iraqi, and Syrian fighters an overwhelming advantage against ISIS. Utilizing SOCOM, the U.S. was still in the fight, just not openly in the lead, and no longer carrying the full load. This opened Obama to political attacks for leading from behind, which revealed a fundamental misunderstanding of the change under way. Happy to keep American forces below the radar, Obama was eager to act when the occasion was ripe. Thomas described Obama as a junkyard dog when it came to national security. SOCOM was so active during Obamas tenurein addition to the large deployments in the Middle East, there were smaller units in Niger, Chad, Mali, South Korea, the Philippines, Colombia, El Salvador, Peru, and dozens of other countriesthat the Pentagon was leery of opening major new fronts. When al-Shabaab, the militant Islamist group in Somalia, showed signs of mounting strength, there was some worry that Obama might want to go in heavy. Thomas was in the room when Pentagon commanders laid out the options, expecting the president to expand the mission. At the conclusion of the briefing, he recalled, Obama made two points: One, We dont know enough about the problem. And two, Maybe the best thing we can do is mow the grass meaning, manage the problem around its edges, quietly. SOCOM gave him the option of mowing the grass, at least for a time. Special Ops forces are popular for two reasons, McChrystal explained: One, because theyre sexy, and two, because they are viewed as a way to do things on the cheap, meaning you could send 10 brave people in to do a job instead of 100,000 soldiers, which has political costs and casualties. The reality, he went on, is that the nonsexy parts of Special Ops are the ones that may have more lasting impact. Killing or capturing a murderous foe appeals to a sense of justice and provides momentary satisfaction, but eliminating a terrorist leader is not victory. It is, in Obamas words, just mowing the grass. As Obama explained when I spoke with him after the bin Laden mission: Ultimately, none of this stuff works if were not partnering effectively with other countries, if were not engaging in smart diplomacy, if were not trying to change our image in the Muslim world to reduce recruits to extremism. The targeting engine itself, he said, is not an end-all, be-all. Im sure glad we have it, though.There is a risk in being admired by those in charge. During Thomass tenure as SOCOM commander, from 2016 to 2019, the scope of his responsibility grew at a pace he calls frantic. New tasks were given to his already swollen organization, grafted on like afterthoughts, even as Obamas successor as president made several dramatic troop reductions or withdrawals, notably in Syria and Afghanistan. Donald Trumps words and policies were unpredictable, but SOCOMs mission continued to enlarge. Explore the April 2021 Issue Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read. View MoreFighting violent extremism remained an active prioritycombatting groups such as the Taliban, ISIS, al-Qaeda, and al-Shabaab. SOCOM was also tasked with developing contingencies for conflict with Iran and North Korea. Thomas was already fielding units in virtually every European country bordering Russia and developing plans to deter China. In 2017, responsibility for policing weapons of mass destruction worldwide was handed from U.S. Strategic Command to SOCOM, which was given information operations at about the same time. To compete on the computer-assisted modern battlefield, SOCOM has taken the lead in employing artificial intelligence. And then there are all those open, or unclassified, missions around the worldtraining local militaries, and building relationships and intelligence. Thomas admits that he fought a losing battle to keep his command from becoming bigger and more bureaucratic. Despite his requests for guidance from Secretary of Defense James Mattisfor more carefully sorted prioritiesthe new missions just kept coming. He never did get direction from the top. And his own input was not avidly sought. We werent even involved in the National Defense Strategy discussions, Thomas told me. He recalled asking General Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Hey, why am I not in the Tank? Dunford replied, Tony, youre not a real service. Youre a service-like entity. Thomas believes that his former command ought to be designated an official branch of the military, and so does James Stavridis. William McRaven disagrees, arguing that SOCOMs strength is the joint flavor of it: You get diversity of thought, you get diversity of background, and theres nothing better to creating a good decision than having diversity. General Joseph Votel, who followed McRaven as SOCOM commander, is ambivalent about formal status, but believes that the SOCOM commander ought to be a member of the Joint Chiefs. Clearly the key player in U.S. military operations worldwide should have a seat at the planning table. Barring the outbreak of a catastrophic war between major powers, SOCOM will likely remain a primary way America projects force, one that is well suited to the global, varied, and collaborative nature of war in the 21st century. This itself prompts questions about whether Americas vast outlays for the traditional military services are being well spent, and whether they could be reduced. But SOCOMs own growth should also make us wary. The power to order pinpoint strikes and killings, often cloaked in secrecy, enables a president to act with minimal public scrutiny, and can tempt a president to substitute a few small, dramatic exploits for a more sustained strategy. As SOCOMs leaders recognize, one cannot defeat a culturally rooted movement, such as al-Shabaab, by occasionally bumping off its leaders. Moreover, once you start mowing the grass, where and when do you stop? Even beyond all that, bigness may, in the long run, challenge SOCOMs effectiveness. It has become a central actor in todays military because of its rapid adaptability and because of the expertise and experience of its forces. As it grows ever larger, it risks losing more than just its elite status. It risks evolving into the very self-justifying, calcified bureaucracy that it was designed to supersede. This is already happening. The early Delta Forces administrative staff was skeletal. Today, SOCOMs central command, at MacDill Air Force Base, in Tampa, Florida, is large and complex. People often accuse the military of throwing money at problems, Bucky Burruss, the former Delta Force officer, told me. We dont do that. We throw headquarters at problems. And another headquarters eventually becomes just another layer you have to get through.McChrystal saw it coming. He remembers attending a military conference in 2007. He ran into another predawn gym rat, a retired Navy SEAL, who lamented, Its just not like the old days, is it?No, McChrystal agreed. Then he asked, What do you mean?These guys just arent McChrystal thought he was about to say heroes but had stopped himself. Theyre not like we were.What are you talking about? McChrystal replied. These guys are doing a hundred times more than we ever dreamed of doing, and doing it better.His friend seemed disappointed by the response, so McChrystal explained further: Its not just a few, you know, burly men anymore. Shit, this is a machine now. You and I dont even know how to run it.* Lead image credit: Illustration by Mike McQuade; images from Leif Skoogfors; Rolls Press / Popperfoto; Corbis; Larry Burrows / Life Picture Collection; Joel Robine / AFP / Getty* This article originally stated that a special Israeli unit stormed a hijacked airliner on the tarmac in Entebbe, Uganda, in 1976, to rescue hostages. In fact, the hostages were rescued from an airport in Entebbe. As we remember the euphoria of Operation Desert Storm 30 years ago, its easy to forget how broken the U.S. military was just 15 years before Desert Storm, at the end of the Vietnam War. Although many fought with courage and valor in Vietnam, they suffered from disastrous shortcomings: a strategy-tactics mismatch, insufficient training, unsuitable equipment, leadership failures and poor morale. Additionally, the American people were deeply divided over the war and the militarys role. Its often been said that people, and institutions, learn more from defeat than victory. That was certainly the case after America left Southeast Asia. It was the starting point for a 20-year effort to rebuild the U.S. military, led by many young officers who had personally experienced failure. Vietnam provided urgency for a diverse team including military leaders, scientists, business leaders, and especially Congress to think differently about future wars. Many of us share a similar sense of urgency today. To be sure, our situation is not as dire as it was in the mid-1970s, but the stark reality is that change is badly needed or we will experience a crisis that similarly exposes our shortcomings. In the past two decades, we have seen the rise of formidable rivals and the erosion of the technology advantage that emerged in Desert Storm. Its not hard to foresee scenarios where we might lose, or worse, become irrelevant. Just as we did after Vietnam, its time to bring together a diverse team to re-think and rebuild national defense. After Vietnam, U.S. grand strategy focused on confronting the Soviet Union, and the militarys role was to deter and, if necessary, to lead the NATO Alliance to defeat Soviet aggression. Today, we need clear focus so that our military can prioritize whats most important. There are many threats to our national security and military force is not well-suited for all of them. Our forces are best suited for deterring and defeating destructive attacks on our homeland and working with friends to defend themselves in a dangerous world. Our most capable and aggressive competitors are China and Russia, and we have friends in Asia and Europe who are willing to work in common interest. This must be our priority. With clear goals and urgency, good things happen. After Vietnam, military leaders realized the imperative for providing realistic training, and they worked with Congress to establish advanced training at the National Training Center in California and Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. As James Kitfield wrote in Prodigal Soldiers, this allowed young leaders to fight bloodless battles where they could make mistakes including potentially fatal ones and learn. They quickly realized that old tactics were insufficient against Soviet equipment, doctrine, and numbers, so they reinvented how they fought. The shared urgency led to a revolution in operational concepts. Despite their differences, the Army and Air Force found common ground to create the concept known as AirLand Battle, which allowed the services to focus training and force development on the right priorities. In developing these concepts, service leaders understood that better equipment would be required, so they worked with Congress and industry to build advanced aircraft, vehicles, ships, and other weapons. Advents such as stealth, smart bombs, and networking including a groundbreaking effort by DARPA known as Assault Breaker allowed for further refinements of the operational concepts, and the result was a leap forward in capability. The Soviets noticed. By the mid-80s, Soviet commentators wrote about a quiet revolution that would make conventional force as effective as nuclear weapons. The combination of effective conventional forces with a reliable nuclear deterrent kept the Cold War from becoming hot. Furthermore, it gave President George H.W. Bush options below the nuclear threshold in Desert Storm. In the years since, this combination ensured an unprecedented period of military superiority, deterring wars between great powers. Today, we will need to work with industry to incorporate a number of new technologies such as multiple generations of low-cost, disposable aircraft, designed using digital tools. We will need to develop methods to fight as a seamless team with our friends against aggressive enemies with deadly long-range missiles. And, while we are doing this, we will need to modernize our nuclear forces. Perhaps most importantly, we need help from Congress. This does not mean unchecked budget authorities. Instead, we need Congress help in creating solutions and adequate funding. This begins with a shared sense of the problems and a shared urgency to solve them. The bipartisan Future of Defense Task Force recently released its report with clear recommendations, and we will be in a better place as these recommendations become a reality. Some of these choices are hard, and they will challenge us. As Christian Brose writes in his book The Kill Chain, For the future to win, senior leaders in the Pentagon and Congress must forge a relationship of closeness and transparency to a degree that could make each other deeply uncomfortable.Its time for us to embrace that discomfort. Its better than losing. Lt. Gen. S. Clinton Hinote is the Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, Integration and Requirements.

###CLAIM: no, the rally was allowed to be held at the original location (reno airport) because covid was forbidden to gather more than 50 people. ###DOCS: AdvertisementPresident Donald Trump on Saturday called Joe Biden 'the worst' candidate who 'doesn't know he is alive' at a rally that violated Nevada's coronavirus regulations. 'He is the worst candidate in the history of presidential politics. He doesn't know he is alive,' Trump said at his rally at the Minden-Tahoe airport. The president hopped from topic to topic in his more than 90 minutes remarks, veering from attack line to attack line during his rally, often in the space of seconds: he attacked the Democrats, railed against the coronavirus, complained about the Black Lives Matters protests in cities - among other topics. He spoke in front of the Sierra Mountains with the smell of smoke in the air from the wildfires one state over. The crowd was riled up, repeatedly yelling 'four more years' and 'we love Trump.' They waved signs that said 'peaceful protesters' - which is what the president has started calling his rallies. President Trump also complained his Democratic rival will get a favorable comparison to Winston Churchill, the legendary British prime minister who lead the United Kingdom through World War II. Trump revers Churchill and often compares himself to the political icon. 'We have a debate coming up in three weeks and here's the problem. Winston Churchill was a great debater,' Trump said. President Donald Trump called Joe Biden 'the worst' candidate who 'doesn't know he is alive'President Trump's rally was moved to Minden after Reno officials canceled his rally there due to COVID concernsThe crowd at Trump's rally violated social distancing rules; Nevada only allows gatherings of 50 peopleHe said if Biden makes it to the debate and 'if he gets off the stage they're going to say it's the single greatest debate they've ever seen. Winston Churchill was nothing compared to Sleepy Joe.' He repeated several of his previous insults of Biden. In addition to the 'Sleepy Joe,' he complained Biden is still in his basement, and railed against Biden's son Hunter. 'Joe is shot, let's face it,' Trump said. 'Using him is just an excuse to get the super libs in there,' he said. He also attacked Biden's ability to keep the United States' safe. Biden has over 40 years of government service. 'Biden's plan is to appease domestic terrorists,' Trump said. 'He'll never be able to protect your family, your loved ones, your community.' He also argued a Biden presidency would ruin the economy. The president has made a strong economy a key to his re-election and it's one area where voters give him high marks. 'I think 1929 would look like good times,' Trump said. He also tied Biden to one of his major pet peeves - windmills. 'Did you ever seen a windmill when it's shot - like Joe?,' Trump said. 'It just starts to rust,' he said. 'And no one wants to take them down because it's a lot of money to take them down.' Trump railed against environmentalists who want to use wind energy, warning people they won't be able to watch TV at night because the wind's not blowing. He complained windmills will kill bald eagles. 'You want to see a bird cemetery,' Trump said. 'Walk under a windmill sometime.' The president also attacked his former Democratic rivals in addition to his 2020 opponent - bringing up Hillary Clinton's emails, which was a popular line for him on the 2016 campaign trail, and complaining about President Barack Obama's Nobel Peace Prize. Trump again attacked Clinton for using a private email server as secretary of state, which she was cleared of any wrong doing in an FBI investigation. 'She took her telephone and smashed it with a hammer and then deleted the emails,' Trump said. 'She illegally deleted and her lawyers should go to jail with her,' he added. The crowd responded with 'lock her up' - a crowd favorite from the 2016 election. 'I don't care if you say it anymore,' Trump told them as they yelled the slogan. He also turned his wrath on Obama. 'Obama came into office they gave him the Nobel prize almost immediately,' Trump said. 'And he had no idea why he got it and he was right about it.' Obama received the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize - shortly after he took the oath of office in his first term - for his 'extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between people'. 'I'm a hell of a lot better president than he is,' Trump said of Obama. The crowd - not using social distancing and few wearing face masks - cheered on TrumpSupporters wave signs as they wait for Trump to arrive at his rally at the Minden-Tahoe AirportTrump complained about Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize - Obama is seen with his diploma and gold medal during the Nobel ceremony at the City Hall in Oslo on December 10, 2009He then turned his fury on the media, complaining his own nominations for the Nobel Prize didn't get adequate coverage in the media. 'So we were nominated a few days ago for a Nobel Peace Prize,' Trump said. 'And yesterday we were nominated a second time.' 'I got zero time on the nightly news the network news,' he added. As the crowd booed - with some yelling 'CNN sucks' - Trump continued on. 'The president is your country is honoured by being nominated by the Nobel Prize,' he said. 'Not one mention. These people are corrupt.' Trump on Saturday dismissed Nevada's restrictions on crowd size because of the coronavirus pandemic and bragged his rally venue is 'packed.' 'We just landed in Nevada and we're very booked up. The venue is packed. 1,000 people many times that,' he told reporters when he landed in Reno. He ripped into Nevada's Democratic Governor Steve Sisolak for not allowing him to hold his rally at his original location - the Reno airport - because the state forbids gatherings of more than 50 people because of COVID. 'He tried to stop us. We went to different venues,' Trump told his rally. He charged Sisolak with 'calling venues and telling them' not to the let the campaign hold events. The rally was packed with several thousand people with no social distancing and few people in the crowd wearing masks. The rows of people on bleachers behind the stage, and in view of the cameras, were wearing masks. 'We call it a protest so we can do it,' Trump said of his rally. The president railed against the expanded mail-in voting options Nevada's state legislature allowed due to the coroanavirus pandemic, repeating his argument it would lead to a 'rigged' elections. Multiple studies have shown mail-in votes do not lead to election fraud. And at least 80 million Americans are expected to vote by mail this year because of the pandemic. 'The governor tried to stop us and he couldn't but he's in control of millions of votes,' Trump said. 'He's a political hack.' 'He's a guy who tried to silence us by not having this but our crowd turned out much bigger,' the president bragged as the crowd roared their approval. 'So I'm up millions of votes he can rig the election,' Trump said of the governor. 'They only way they're going to win is to rig it,' he said of the Democrats. 'The only way we're tied is if they screw around with the ballots, which they will do in my opinion,' the president noted. 'This is the greatest scam in the history of presidential politics,' he said of universal mail-in voting, adding that dead people and dogs are getting ballots. 'People died, they're getting ballots. They're sending them to dogs. You see that? Dogs got ballots. Everybody's getting ballots. Probably everybody but Republicans are going to get the ballots,' he said. He urged the crowd to be poll watchers on Election Day. 'I hope you're all gonna be poll watchers because with you people watching the polls it's going to be pretty hard to cheat. I'll tell you, I wouldn't want to be a cheater,' he tells supporters as they cheer. The rally was moved from the Reno airport to the Minden-Tahoe airport approximately 45 mins away after officials canceled the Reno event out of concerns about the virus. Nevada does not allow gatherings of more than 50 people. Trump landed in Reno - because the 747 he was traveling on was too big to land at the Minden-Tahoe Airport - and complained he didn't have Air Force One in the background, which he usually has at his airport rallies. 'Why didn't we have land here then we could have the plane in the background,' he said to the crowd. Instead Trump took his motorcade on the 45 minute journey from Reno to Minden. 'The Beast costs almost as much as the plane,' Trump bragged. 'It's a tank.' A crowd listens as President Donald Trump speaks at a rally at Minden-Tahoe AirportTrump railed repeatedly against Democratic rival Joe Biden at his rallySo the Trump campaign moved the rally down the Sierra Mountain range to Douglas County, a much more conservative area. The total population of about 49,000 people is an overwhelmingly Republican area. A Trump campaign official told RGJ.com there would be adequate social distancing at the event but 'no one from Douglas County will be enforcing anything.' Trump expressed confidence he could win Nevada this November even though the state hasn't voted for Republican President since 2004. 'I've been here a lot in my life and I know it well. I think we're gonna win it,' he said upon landing in Reno. The Trump campaign is holding several events in Nevada this weekend, hoping the state's six electoral votes can provide a firewall should they lose a state they lost in 2016 - like Arizona. Trump will hold another event on Sunday in Las Vegas. His original rally was canceled out of the same COVID concerns. Instead he will speak at Xtreme Manufacturing in nearby Henderson. Henderson spokeswoman Kathleen Richards told the Las Vegas Review Journal that the city had issued written and verbal warnings to Xtreme Manufacturing, reminding the company of the restrictions on social gatherings. If the company does violate the rule, it will receive a citation, she said. Additionally the president will visit California on Monday to be briefed on the wildfires there, capping off a weekend campaign swing on the West Coast with a visiting to the devastating blazes that have killed at least 29. 'It is about forest management. Please remember the words, very simple, forest management,' Trump said of the fires during his rally on Saturday night. The White House announced his California visit shortly before he left for Nevada. 'President @realDonaldTrump will visit California on Monday where he will be briefed on the state's wildfires,' White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere wrote Saturday on Twitter. President Donald Trump will visit California on Monday to be briefed on the wildfires thereMore than 746,000 acres in California have burned, including the Bobcat Fire (above) in the woods in the Angeles National Forest north of MonroviaFollowing that, he'll visit McClellan Park in Sacramento County on Monday, which has served as a base for CALFire operations, Fox 11 in Los Angeles reported. The White House has touted its support for the first responders and fire fighters in the state. 'THANK YOU to the 28,000+ Firefighters and other First Responders who are battling wildfires across California, Oregon, and Washington. I have approved 37 Stafford Act Declarations, including Fire Management Grants to support their brave work. We are with them all the way!,' Trump tweeted on Friday night. President Trump visited California after the 2018 wildfires, touring the area with then-Governor Jerry Brown and then Governor-Elect Gavin Newsom. It is unclear if Newsom will join the president for this trip. The two men do not get along but have spoke on the phone Friday about the roaring fires devastating the West Coast. At least 20 have been killed in California, eight in Oregon and one in Washington state as thousands of firefighters struggle to bring the blazes under control. Four people have been arrested on arson charges. Images out of the California show orange skies, damaged property, and smoke-filled scenes. More than 20,000 firefighters are battling the blazes. Officials are bracing for more casualties. 'We anticipate that number (of deaths) may potentially go up as we get back into areas that have been ravaged by flame and obviously, smoke begins to clear,' warned Newsom, as he visited a scorched forest near the raging North Complex Fire on Friday. The map above shows 103 fires that have already burned more than 3.4 million acres across the western United StatesThe August Complex Fire this week became by far the biggest recorded blaze in Californian history, ripping through 746,000 acres of dry vegetation in the state's north, as multiple fires combined. But it is just one of around 100 large fires on the West Coast, and other rapidly growing blazes closer to populated areas have proven deadlier.

###CLAIM: `` we have completed a critical milestone in cross-industry collaboration when the continuing research and development process of testing and data collection on the road continues as test pilots. ###DOCS: Comment on this story Comment Gift Article ShareIf bicycles and e-scooters could talk to cars on the road, riders would be safer at least in theory. Thats the idea behind a consortium of bike and scooter manufacturers coming together to develop and test new safety software that would allow forms of micromobility to communicate with nearby cars. Detroit-based Tome Software spearheaded the initiative in collaboration with companies such as Ford, Trek Bicycle and Bosch. At the core of the effort is a software standard that would allow a wide range of vehicle services to exchange information in real time so that drivers in big cities and congested areas are more aware of riders out of their line of sight. It could also trigger visible alerts on bicycles when cars get too close. The group announced the news on Wednesday at CES, the large tech conference happening digitally this year. AdvertisementWe have completed a critical milestone in cross-industry collaboration while we continue the research and development process through 2021 testing and on-road data collection pilots, Jake Sigal, founder and chief executive of Tome Software, said in a statement. The bicycle-to-vehicle (B2V) technology uses Bluetooth 5, the latest version of Bluetooth communication, to send a signal to nearby vehicles. Tome says the standard could manifest in a wide range of ways, and the group is researching to figure out which implementations are the most viable. For instance, Ford is testing it out as part of its existing advanced driver-assistance system, something that could be used in addition to sensors on a car to detect and avoid objects. The automaker acquired Spin, an e-scooter company, for a reported $100 million in 2018, and e-scooter riders represent a growing part of its mobility business. The bicycle manufacturer Trek is adding sensors to detachable taillights that could trigger an interruptive flashing light pattern meant to alert motorists. The company says the light is visible at all times of the day and claims studies show that it could decrease bike-related accidents by 33 percent. AdvertisementTome says there arent current plans to retrofit existing consumer cars with the technology. Still, the software firm is collaborating with automakers as new vehicles roll out to figure out the possibilities. The prototype announcements come as cities roll out more bike lanes, giving people more space to commute amid the ongoing pandemic. It also trails a micromobility boom in which cities, including D.C., implemented e-scooter regulations as people embraced ride-sharing alternatives. The shift from cars to smaller rides also increased scooter-related accidents, drawing more attention to safety. Trek is one of the largest bicycle brands in the United States, based on representation in bike shops. Ford is among the worlds top automakers. Other companies represented in the consortium include the engineering company Bosch, the bicycle computing company Hammerhead and the cycling equipment companies Specialized, SRAM and Shimano. The group aims to attract other leading brands in the field. What we didnt want to create was, like, something that works on a Trek bike to communicate to a Ford car and thats it, said Eric Bjorling, brand director at Trek. Thats just not a common-enough scenario for enough cyclists to take advantage of.GiftOutline Gift Article

###CLAIM: he said, "imagine the technology that could do that, with 13, 000 nautical miles flying per hour, radar evading, flying through air and water and possibly space, with no wings, no control face and oh by the way, defying the natural effects of the earth's gravity. " ###DOCS: Tucker Carlson has claimed the US military is not dealing with the 'clear and present threat' of UFOs because it is too busy purging its ranks of soldiers who are not woke enough. The Fox News host hit out at military leaders on his show Monday night after new footage surfaced appearing to show UFO sightings off the coast of America. Last week, a video was released appearing to show a UFO buzz a US stealth ship near San Diego before diving under the water back in July 2019. Retired Navy officials have warned the technology seen is up to 1,000 years ahead of that used by the US while others have revealed they spotted unidentified objects in the skies every day during military postings. Carlson questioned whether the Pentagon is taking this 'threat' to the US's national security seriously, accusing the likes of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin of focusing on diversity and inclusion initiatives and 'the weather' instead of investigating UFOs. He fumed the military is too busy 'hiring more pregnant air force pilots' and being 'obsessed with political purity' to defend America from potential adversaries. Carlson pointed to the US Army's new recruitment ad which features an LGBTQ+ protest as well as the recent ousting of Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier from the Space Force over his comments branding its diversity programs 'Marxist'. 'This is your country, please defend it. It is becoming clear they have no interest in defending it,' said Carlson. Tucker Carlson has claimed the US military is not dealing with the 'clear and present threat' of UFOs because it is too busy purging its ranks of soldiers who are not woke enoughNewly leaked Navy footage (pictured) confirmed as real by the Pentagon appears to show a UFO buzz a United States stealth ship before diving under the water in 2019Carlson aired footage from CBS 60 Minutes Sunday night showing an unidentified flying object spotted by a Navy aircrew off the US Atlantic coast in 2015. Journalist Bill Whitaker narrates the footage saying that 'the Pentagon admits it doesn't know what in the world this is...or this...or this...'Carlson said this admission from the Pentagon is a 'very big problem.' 'Oh, UFOs, they're spooky and kinda funny. Crazy people believe in them. Up until you get to the line, 'The Pentagon admits it doesn't know what in the world this is.' That's all you need to know,' he said. 'From a national security perspective, that's a very big problem. How big a problem is it? 'One Navy pilot said military observed unidentified objects maneuvering in restricted airspace off the coast of Virginia 'every day' for two years.' Carlson cuts to another clip from the CBS show where Whitaker says the Pentagon 'can't identity' what the objects are and speaks to Lt Ryan Graves who says the sightings were regular occurrences. 'Every day. Every day for at least a couple years,' Graves says. In another clip, Lue Elizondo, the former director of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, tells Whitaker 'it's real' and reveals the technology 'can defy the natural effects of Earth's gravity.' 'Imagine a technology that can do 600 to 700 G-forces, that can fly 13,000 miles an hour, that, that can evade radar and can fly through air and water and possibly space, and oh, by the way, has no obvious signs of propulsion, no wings, no control surfaces and yet still can defy the natural effects of Earth's gravity,' he says. 'That's precisely what we're seeing.' Watch the latest video at foxnews.comFox News Privacy PolicyLast week, the video was released appearing to show a UFO buzz a US stealth ship near San Diego before diving under the water back in July 2019Carlson hit out at the Pentagon questioning why the military has not acted on the sightings and 'did nothing after two full years of daily incursions.' 'Sound like a potential threat? You think? So what has the Pentagon done about it? Well, we don't know the full story as of tonight,' he said. 'But we don't know that they've done anything about it, and then cover the fact they ignored it by declaring the whole subject classified for decades, then spending the rest of the day thinking about how to bomb Syria again and rid the marine corps of people who voted for Donald Trump.' Carlson suggested the Space Force division is well-equipped to handle this matter but claimed resources are instead being wasted on 'political purges.' 'They're busy conducting political purges of their own ranks, as all the branches of the military are. Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, commanded a Space Force unit until the White House decided his politics were unacceptable,' he said. Lohmeier was fired from his post after calling diversity and inclusion training in the military 'critical race theory rooted in Marxism.' Carlson likened the US Army's 'purging' of its ranks to the Soviet Army's focus on 'political purity' back in 1938. 'So, every day for two years, unidentified flying objects behaving in ways that seemed to contradict what we know about physics, and the US military is spending its time purging its ranks,' he said. 'What does this remind you of? Maybe the Soviet army 1938: A clear and present threat appears on the horizon, but the people in charge are so obsessed with political purity and loyalty to the Party, they can't respond, because they're absorbed in attacking their own organization. Carlson accused the likes of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (above) of focusing on diversity and inclusion initiatives and 'the weather' instead of investigating UFOs'When they say that all revolutions are the same, they're right.' He added: 'Most of the generals we see quoted in the press seem more committed to meeting some counterproductive diversity goal hiring more pregnant air force pilots, assembling the world's first transgender SEAL team than on defending the United States.' Carlson specifically took aim at Defense Secretary Austin, likening his appointment to 'handing control of the entire US military to the editorial page of the New York Times' and branding his Senior Adviser Bishop Garrison 'a lunatic.' Austin, he said, has 'declared a hot war on global warming.' Carlson aired footage of the defense secretary calling the climate crisis an 'existential' threat to the nation. 'Today, no nation can find lasting security without addressing the climate crisis. We face all kinds of threats in our line of work, but few of them truly deserve to be called existential,' says Austin. 'The climate crisis does deserve to be called existential.' Carlson also shared a clip he said shows Austin 'explaining that the scariest risk our soldiers face is the possibility they might serve alongside Americans who didn't vote for Joe Biden.' The pilot program, part of the Biden administration's plan to crack down on domestic extremism, will result in the ongoing monitoring of military personnel for 'concerning behaviors', according to sources and internal documents seen by The Intercept. The so-called 'concerning behaviors' haven't been explicitly identified, leading to concerns that social media commissars could squash protected free speech - just as 'Big Tech' has in some cases shut down opinion that is out of the mainstream - such as when Facebook locked former Donald Trump's accounts. The program is being spearheaded by Bishop Garrison, a senior advisor to President Biden's Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who has previously said Trump and his supporters are racist and is an advocate for Critical Race Theory and the 1619 Project, which teaches that America is an inherently racist nation founded on slavery. It has already sparked backlash over concerns about free speech and fears military members could be targeted for 'lack of wokeness'. The Department of Defense has not commented about Garrison's program but a House Armed Services Committee spokesperson said they believed the social media screening would be in addition to background checks, and not ongoing surveillance. The program will likely use keyword searches on social media to identify military personnel with extremist political views or behaviors. Furious critics have been quick to slam news of the potential program, saying the keyword search strategy is flawed because it is an invasion of privacy. They also argue it will return 'false positives' and will undermine morale if military personnel are constantly second guessing what they post on social media. US Rep. Lauren Boebert argued: 'We should not be removing military members for lack of wokeness. Will the next step be pledging loyalty to the Democrat Party to fight for our country.' A Pentagon official with knowledge of the program said it had already proven challenging to create a list of keywords that would help identify extremists but not infringe on free speech. Officials say the program will use the services of a private surveillance company to try and circumvent or avoid any criticism regarding First Amendment protections. Babel Street, a private company in Washington DC that sells social media monitoring software, is the front runner to carry out the surveillance, according to Pentagon officials. AdvertisementIn the footage from January 19, Austin testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee that he would root out enemies that 'lie within our own ranks.' 'And if confirmed, I will fight hard to stamp out sexual assault and to rid our ranks of racists and extremists,' he says in the footage. 'The job of the Department of Defense is to keep America safe from our enemies. But we can't do that if some of those enemies lie within our own ranks.' Austin was speaking weeks after the January 6 riot where a Donald Trump inspired mob stormed the Capitol in a violent insurrection that left five dead. Carlson took aim at 'activist type' Garrison who is advising Austin on the Pentagon's diversity and inclusion efforts. Garrison is also leading the Pentagon's extremism steering committee which has now launched a social media screening pilot program, which will monitor the accounts of military personnel for 'concerning' and extremist behaviors. 'Spend five minutes Googling Bishop Garrison. Treat yourself. He's a lunatic. A few years ago, he announced that anyone who supports Donald Trump tens of millions of American citizens, many of whom have served in the military is a white supremacist,' said Carlson. 'And he said 'there is no room for nuance' on that question.' Carlson also took issue with the US Army's latest recruitment ad that features an animated lesbian wedding and an LGBTQ+ pride parade. The campaign features five cartoon shorts telling the stories of five diverse soldiers and an LGBTQ+ family. One two-minute recruitment video centers on Corporal Emma Malonelord and her upbringing as she is raised by two moms. The ad is part of a recruitment effort to appeal to more diverse groups as LGBTQ+, ethnic minority groups, and women are still largely underrepresented in the army - even more so in high ranking positions. General Mark Milley has called for more diversity saying the forces need 'diverse talent in order for us to remain strong.' Carlson played part of the ad where the cartoon corporal says she 'marched for equality.' '"I also marched for equality." Oh, shut up. Who cares?' the Fox host mocked. 'Please stop talking about yourself for once. It is boring and irrelevant and insulting. This is not just your country, it belongs to all of us. Your job is to defend it, please do so.' Carlson claimed the 'same fighting force that for generations we have been so proud of' has been 'captured by people who seem like rejects from the Google HR department.' The Fox host argued that UFOS 'are real' and are 'a prima facie challenge to the United States military' that he urged the Pentagon to turn its attention to. 'What are these things? Why are they buzzing our skies? Why do they seem attracted to our U.S. military? And above all, why isn't the Pentagon more focused on this? It seems like a threat if there ever was one,' he said. Carlson's comments come as retired Navy officers issued a chilling warning that UFO sightings possess technology that far surpasses that owned by the US. Commenting on the video released last week, Sean Cahil - a retired US Navy Chief Master-at-Arms - told CNN's Chris Cuomo the technology on display is 100 to 1000 years ahead of that possessed by the United States. Lt Col. Matthew Lohmeier was fired from the Space Force after he branded its diversity programs 'Marxist' as examplesCarlson's comments come as retired Navy officers issued a chilling warning that UFO sightings possess technology that far surpasses that owned by the US. Sean Cahil (left) - a retired US Navy Chief Master-at-Arms told CNN about the UFOs'The technology that we witnessed with the Tic-Tac was something we would not have been able to defend our forces against at the time,' said Cahil. 'What we saw in the Tic-Tac [...] is the five observables. [These] indicate a technology that outstrips our arsenal by at least 100 to 1000 years at the moment.' Last April, the infamous 'Tic Tac' incident was one of three videos released by the Pentagon which showed footage of 'unexplained aerial phenomena' taken by US Navy pilots. At least six pilots encountered the mysterious object as it flew at speed over the Pacific near Mexico on November 14, 2004. The way it moved has led to speculation that it was a UFO and it has become a key piece of evidence for those who believe in extraterrestrials. The comments and the release of the video comes ahead of the delivery of unclassified reports by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and other agencies about unidentified aerial phenomena sightings by military personnel to Congress next month.