bbc--2020-05-22--'Everyone is going to suffer' - how coronavirus has hit lower-league football

This bank holiday weekend was supposed to bring the FA Cup and Championship play-off finals - arguably the most renowned and richest games in club football .
Instead there is a void .
While those at the top of the football food chain may be able to ride out the financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic , clubs and players down the English Football League and below are preparing for seismic changes to both the sport and the livelihoods of those who rely on it .
BBC Sport has spoken to people running those clubs , as well as players @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having no fans at games could mean over the coming weeks , months , and even years .
We are running a live page on the website on Friday to bring you more reaction on how lower league clubs are trying to survive .
The problem is clear but the solution is anything but .
Around 1,400 players across the EFL are out of contract at the end of June and there is an ever-growing possibility that fans will not be allowed to attend matches until next year - starving clubs of , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ income source .
`` I ca n't see clubs offering contracts in that period , '' said Alex Rodman , midfielder at League One side Bristol Rovers .
He told BBC Radio 5 Live : `` A lot [ of the 1,400 players ] could be lost to the game , which would be a massive shame .
`` It 's a horrible situation for them to be in - to think that they need to go and possibly find another job that they maybe have n't known for the last six , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their families - but it is unprecedented times and I 'm sure there 's many other people in the country who are in the same position . ''
Rodman 's concerns are echoed by Dr Rob Wilson , sports finance expert at Sheffield Hallam University , who believes `` a lot of players '' will drop out of football .
`` We will naturally see smaller squad sizes and more use of the loan system , particularly by lower league clubs , '' Wilson told BBC Sport .
He thinks that will `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a `` depression '' in the transfer market .
`` Even if clubs are able to pay big fees , the public perception will be so poor that they will try to avoid it , '' he added .
`` That will naturally depress the total value of the transfer market , and clubs should use this to their advantage in player contract negotiations so anybody looking at contract renewals will probably look at lighter contracts . ''
• EFL to keep promotion and relegation When many think of professional football in England @ @ @ @ @ @ @ League , where players earn an average of more than £3m a year .
This perhaps creates a feeling that footballers are immune to the financial implications of coronavirus .
But Rodman - who is Rovers ' representative of the Professional Footballers ' Association trade union - paints a very different picture in the third and fourth tiers .
`` A lot of the players at Bristol Rovers have mentioned to me you 're potentially caught between a proverbial rock and a hard place , in a moral dilemma of do you go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your family and pay your mortgage or do you stay at home because you need to protect your family 's health and welfare ?
`` Players , especially at League One and League Two level , probably do rely on a paycheque every month - living paycheque to paycheque - and could not absorb missing one , two , three or four paycheques .
I do n't think that could happen . ''
Derby 's Curtis Davies , Charlton 's Darren Pratley and Adam Clayton , of Middlesbrough , are among the Championship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns over returning to action , while in the Premier League Troy Deeney and N'Golo Kante have opted to miss training over coronavirus fears .
The EFL has already proposed salary caps for teams in the third and fourth tiers from next season , while clubs could be given a vote on the introduction of maximum 20-man squads .
Mansfield midfielder Neal Bishop is one of those who is being let go by his club this summer .
At 38 - and with an offer on the table to remain in football - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than him , but is matter-of-fact about what the pandemic is likely to mean for his peers .
`` I 'm probably relieved I 'm at this stage of my career now rather than the beginning or middle because I just ca n't see the money being around , '' he told BBC East Midlands Today .
`` This summer it 's going to be a case of 'we want you but there 's your offer , take it or leave it ' - there 's going to be 10 or 11 players @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willing to take less money just to secure a place at a League One or League Two side .
`` I hate to be so pessimistic , I just think , realistically , football is going to change for a very , very long time below the Championship . ''
It has been more than 10 weeks since a ball has been kicked in League One or League Two .
As two divisions that rely heavily on matchday revenues , that equates to least 73 financially barren days .
In the Premier League @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is at stake if there is no resumption in the foreseeable future , and while they can survive with behind-closed-doors matches beamed worldwide , it is bums on seats that lower league clubs need .
For relegation-threatened Championship side Luton Town , a club familiar with dire financial troubles having gone into administration three times between 1999 and 2007 , the crisis is the worst they have faced .
Manager Graeme Jones parted company with the Hatters - a club staring at an immediate return to League One - in April , becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leave his job as a cost-cutting measure during the pandemic .
`` It 's more grave now than it was back then , '' said Luton chief executive Gary Sweet when comparing the impact of the pandemic to administration in 2002 and further financial issues in the 2007-08 season .
`` Football ca n't survive going a year without supporters - this is a problem and a challenge for the game , not just for Luton Town .
`` If you go back to those two periods - at the end of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then somebody would 've bought the club .
`` Right now there 's not really a queue of people willing to buy football clubs . ''
Finance expert Dr Wilson says the pandemic `` is the single biggest ever challenge to professional football in this country '' .
With Bury expelled from League One because of financial problems last summer , Bolton narrowly avoiding liquidation at the same time and a number of clubs failing to pay wages on time or facing winding-up petitions in the High Court during the season , economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been magnified by the coronavirus outbreak .
`` While we ca n't control what we are living though it has absolutely shone the light on the fragility of football 's finances , '' Wilson said .
`` I keep getting asked the same question - why are things so bad and how did it get to this stage ?
The truth is , it has been that bad for 10 years .
`` The hand-to-mouth existence of clubs ca n't happen when the hand to feed them has been cut off . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ League Two clubs last week united in voting to have the season ended .
Exeter are fourth in the table and are now set to feature in the play-offs for the final promotion spot .
It will cost the club around £400,000 , as players and staff are brought off the government 's furlough scheme and testing for coronavirus needs to be covered .
But the Grecians can afford to play on .
They have the prudence of the fans ' trust , which owns the club following its near financial collapse in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took 10 or 15 years of struggling to get it into a much stronger financial position , '' Exeter chairman Julian Tagg told BBC Sport .
`` Certainly it is way stronger than it ever was at the outset when the trust took over ownership .
`` They have been very circumspect about how money should be spent , getting value for that money and taking care because there is no back up .
`` The truth is , everyone is going to suffer , including us .
It is very difficult but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help ourselves as best we can .
`` I know there are a number of clubs that have struggled to pay wages prior to this event rather than during it .
`` My surprise is that someone has n't already gone to the wall .
There are clubs closer to the wind than you would think across the board . ''
Exeter 's academy , which in recent years has produced Ethan Ampadu , Ollie Watkins and Matt Grimes , and subsequently made the club millions following their transfers , has helped the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The academy has been a major part of that , it 's something we have worked extremely hard at , '' said Tagg .
`` The temptation when we have had some good paydays and windfalls is to plough it straight back in immediately and we have n't done that .
We 've tried to be circumspect with the amounts that we put back in and the amounts that we hold back .
`` No-one envisioned this .
Again it will hurt us long term because how will you replace it ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ up .
`` It will make life particularly difficult for every football club . ''
While Exeter take pride in having a bottom line which is now keeping them afloat , they are also a side with ambition .
Playing out the season is something they could have afforded , but seeing the campaign curtailed and a potential automatic promotion spot go begging is not something Tagg decries - not with the very future of other clubs at stake .
`` It was n't right to push to continue the season , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the automatic spots , '' Tagg said .
`` Unity of the league is very difficult because you have some very entrepreneurial people with very fixed determined objectives , so for them to agree unanimously at the time was excellent .
`` Football is a tough game - there are some tough individuals in there that have put in some small fortunes .
I might have devoted a third of my life to the club , but I have n't devoted the same kind of finances as some of these people .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not as individual clubs was a very poignant moment and important one . ''
In League One , however , the debate of how to finish the season continues to rage , with teams split over a resolution .
Burton Albion chairman Ben Robinson , whose side are 12th with nine games still to play , said the vote by the sides in the division below was `` incredible '' .
In the week that long-serving manager Nigel Clough left the club because of the financial pinch of the pandemic , Robinson said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to play on this season .
`` I do n't want us to play nine games and fork out £140,000 [ for testing ] when we 're having to pay our overheads over the coming months when not knowing when next season 's going to start , '' Robinson told BBC Radio 5 live .
`` And more pertinently when it does start , are we going to get revenue from the fans and our season ticket holders ?
`` To me , there 's only one option which is to void @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of how much it 's going to cost us to repay , around £100,000 , under the TV deal . ''
League One talks last week stalled after at least six clubs in the third tier , including Sunderland , Portsmouth and Ipswich Town , said they wanted to continue the season .
Robinson refers to clubs with `` vested interests '' , while finance expert Dr Wilson calls it `` self-interest '' .
`` It will threaten the final operations at a number of clubs in that division , no doubt whatsoever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the season in the third tier .
`` They will hardly be able to afford to test their players for coronavirus , let alone pay their wages .
`` It is all well and good having a couple of big teams trying to dictate what should happen when in reality they have 23 teams that they need to look out for . ''
When clubs in League Two last week agreed to end the regular season campaign , refunding fans for games that would never take place was a financial drain that needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including fan-owned Exeter , are finding that some supporters are happy to see money they have spent now put towards getting their teams through the economic fallout of the pandemic .
`` A number have already said they do n't want their money back , saying they want to see it used to help the club , '' Exeter chairman Tagg said .
`` We have also had a good uptake on season ticket holders under exactly the same auspices .
`` There are those who can help in such a way , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and made sure that we do n't have people doing this in a way that causes them any hardship .
`` Those who are happy to do it , then that is great because it is very helpful and very useful for a club that is not bringing in any income .
`` Everyone has great fans , everyone is a family club but this is very different because they do own it and they do feel a responsibility . ''
At League Two rivals Port Vale , football 's hibernation and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020-21 season will be played behind closed doors has not stopped people from buying season tickets for next term .
Around 200 have been purchased since lockdown began , taking the total past 900 .
Malcolm Hirst , of the Port Vale Supporters ' Club , said renewing his seat was `` a way of thanking '' owners Carol and Kevin Shanahan , who took over from Norman Smurthwaite - an owner that threatened to put the club into administration in 2019 .
`` We owe a debt of gratitude to Carol and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , transformed the club and given us hope , '' Hirst said .
`` I do n't think we had any semblance of hope for the future of this club for over a decade .
We are willing to put our trust in them , even in such a short period of time they have earned it .
`` The fact they are supporting the club with their own money through this period as well , it is a sense of standing with them and showing them that the fans are grateful .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the club and owners during the public health crisis by providing thousands of food parcels for vulnerable families has resonated strongly with fans .
`` If you can build a positive ethos around a club , fans will buy in , '' Hirst said .
`` It 's just fantastic to see the club I 've supported after 45 years or so doing its bit and helping . ''
For Luton , a club that won back-to-back promotions to reach the second tier for the first time in 12 years , the uptake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afloat .
`` We 're in a very precarious situation and if it was n't for our supporters , executive members and sponsors who have stuck by us in this time , it would be much more precarious , '' CEO Sweet told BBC Three Counties Radio .
`` It 's those guys keeping us going at the moment , who are still willing to buy season tickets and executive packages for next season .
`` It 's all of those people who matter so much to us because ultimately it 's their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is irrelevant , actually .
`` They 're not able to enjoy it [ at the moment ] , yet they 're still giving us their money in tough times and without that it would be a really difficult position . ''
What is the way out for clubs ?
It started with wage cuts and deferrals , and a heavy uptake of the government 's job retention scheme - which has been leaned on to pay players , as well as non-playing staff .
But as the longer-term repercussions of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lower down the pyramid are trying to be proactive and think up innovative ways to keep up some level of cashflow .
Even EFL chairman Rick Parry has conceded that the EFL needed a `` proper reset post-Covid '' , with clubs currently `` stacking up creditors '' .
While using stadiums as wedding venues , or for conferences and concerts are the sorts of non-football activities that has generated money in the past , social distancing means even restoring that income will take time .
Tifosy , a sports investment company founded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vialli and former investment banker Fausto Zanetton , have previously helped clubs , including Norwich and Portsmouth raise money , and earlier this season oversaw the part sale of Stevenage .
While prosperous times have made way for a pandemic , Zanetton says the company is still set up to help clubs generate funds .
`` The whole business model of football and sport in general is dependent on games being played , '' said Zanetton , whose company also offers advisory services to clubs .
`` But you have this fixed cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extremely high , so whatever disruption happens to your top line you are going to be naked .
It is very difficult to hedge against that .
`` On the capital raise side of the business our platform can enable clubs to raise money from investors who are fans of the club or close to the club globally .
`` I think capital markets , banks , will come out of this crisis and not be very motivated to lend money to football clubs - they already were n't jumping up and down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clubs - from League Two Plymouth Argyle to eighth-tier side Frome - have brought forward availability of ticket packages and various matchday experiences for next season , raising money through crowdfunding to pay the bills .
In all , fans have stumped up £300,000 via this method , with some clubs giving a slice of the money to charitable causes .
Last week England captain Harry Kane was given clearance by the FA , EFL and Premier League to sponsor the shirts of Leyton Orient , where he made his senior debut in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advertising space to good causes .
The move could open the door for other high-profile players to follow suit in the coming months , showing support for a lower league club close to their hearts during a time when companies may not be so willing to commit to shirt sponsorship deals .
Orient fans have also donated £40,000 to the League Two club to keep them going .
But arguably the most creative idea for raising income involves eighth-tier Daventry Town , of the Southern League Division One Central .
The Northamptonshire side @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 9m x 7m screen on their pitch .
People will watch the films from their cars , with sound coming through their radio , and money raised used to support the club 's youth and adult sides .
`` We 're repurposing their ground to allow for this to happen , '' Ian Marriott , who runs Drive In Films , told BBC Radio Northampton .
`` We 're working very hard with the groundsman - it 's been a challenge to persuade them but it 's in the middle of summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their facilities and their bills are n't stopping . ''

Most English Football League clubs shut their stadium and facilities early on to reduce costs
This bank holiday weekend was supposed to bring the FA Cup and Championship play-off finals - arguably the most renowned and richest games in club football.
Instead there is a void.
While those at the top of the football food chain may be able to ride out the financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic, clubs and players down the English Football League and below are preparing for seismic changes to both the sport and the livelihoods of those who rely on it.
BBC Sport has spoken to people running those clubs, as well as players, supporters and finance experts about what having no fans at games could mean over the coming weeks, months, and even years.
Players 'living paycheque to paycheque'
The problem is clear but the solution is anything but.
Around 1,400 players across the EFL are out of contract at the end of June and there is an ever-growing possibility that fans will not be allowed to attend matches until next year - starving clubs of, what is for many, their main income source.
"I can't see clubs offering contracts in that period," said Alex Rodman, midfielder at League One side Bristol Rovers.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "A lot [of the 1,400 players] could be lost to the game, which would be a massive shame.
"It's a horrible situation for them to be in - to think that they need to go and possibly find another job that they maybe haven't known for the last six, eight or 10 years just to support their families - but it is unprecedented times and I'm sure there's many other people in the country who are in the same position."
Rodman's concerns are echoed by Dr Rob Wilson, sports finance expert at Sheffield Hallam University, who believes "a lot of players" will drop out of football.
"We will naturally see smaller squad sizes and more use of the loan system, particularly by lower league clubs," Wilson told BBC Sport.
He thinks that will "help redistribute playing talent" but foresees a "depression" in the transfer market.
"Even if clubs are able to pay big fees, the public perception will be so poor that they will try to avoid it," he added.
"That will naturally depress the total value of the transfer market, and clubs should use this to their advantage in player contract negotiations so anybody looking at contract renewals will probably look at lighter contracts."
Alex Rodman's previous clubs include Grimsby, Newport, Notts County and Shrewsbury
When many think of professional football in England, attention turns straight to the Premier League, where players earn an average of more than £3m a year. external-link
This perhaps creates a feeling that footballers are immune to the financial implications of coronavirus. But Rodman - who is Rovers' representative of the Professional Footballers' Association trade union - paints a very different picture in the third and fourth tiers.
"A lot of the players at Bristol Rovers have mentioned to me you're potentially caught between a proverbial rock and a hard place, in a moral dilemma of do you go back because financially you need to support your family and pay your mortgage or do you stay at home because you need to protect your family's health and welfare?
"Players, especially at League One and League Two level, probably do rely on a paycheque every month - living paycheque to paycheque - and could not absorb missing one, two, three or four paycheques. I don't think that could happen."
Derby's Curtis Davies, Charlton's Darren Pratley and Adam Clayton, of Middlesbrough, are among the Championship players to have expressed health and safety concerns over returning to action, while in the Premier League Troy Deeney and N'Golo Kante have opted to miss training over coronavirus fears.
The EFL has already proposed salary caps for teams in the third and fourth tiers from next season, while clubs could be given a vote on the introduction of maximum 20-man squads.
Mansfield midfielder Neal Bishop is one of those who is being let go by his club this summer.
At 38 - and with an offer on the table to remain in football - he acknowledges many players have it harder than him, but is matter-of-fact about what the pandemic is likely to mean for his peers.
"I'm probably relieved I'm at this stage of my career now rather than the beginning or middle because I just can't see the money being around," he told BBC East Midlands Today.
"This summer it's going to be a case of 'we want you but there's your offer, take it or leave it' - there's going to be 10 or 11 players in the same position as you, willing to take less money just to secure a place at a League One or League Two side.
"I hate to be so pessimistic, I just think, realistically, football is going to change for a very, very long time below the Championship."
Pandemic 'more grave' than administration
It has been more than 10 weeks since a ball has been kicked in League One or League Two.
As two divisions that rely heavily on matchday revenues, that equates to least 73 financially barren days.
In the Premier League, billions of pounds in TV income is at stake if there is no resumption in the foreseeable future, and while they can survive with behind-closed-doors matches beamed worldwide, it is bums on seats that lower league clubs need.
For relegation-threatened Championship side Luton Town, a club familiar with dire financial troubles having gone into administration three times between 1999 and 2007, the crisis is the worst they have faced.
Manager Graeme Jones parted company with the Hatters - a club staring at an immediate return to League One - in April, becoming the first manager in the EFL to leave his job as a cost-cutting measure during the pandemic.
"It's more grave now than it was back then," said Luton chief executive Gary Sweet when comparing the impact of the pandemic to administration in 2002 and further financial issues in the 2007-08 season.
"Football can't survive going a year without supporters - this is a problem and a challenge for the game, not just for Luton Town.
"If you go back to those two periods - at the end of the day if we weren't there back then somebody would've bought the club.
"Right now there's not really a queue of people willing to buy football clubs."
Graeme Jones (right) left Luton six points from safety in the Championship
Finance expert Dr Wilson says the pandemic "is the single biggest ever challenge to professional football in this country".
With Bury expelled from League One because of financial problems last summer, Bolton narrowly avoiding liquidation at the same time and a number of clubs failing to pay wages on time or facing winding-up petitions in the High Court during the season, economic issues in the lower leagues have only been magnified by the coronavirus outbreak.
"While we can't control what we are living though it has absolutely shone the light on the fragility of football's finances," Wilson said.
"I keep getting asked the same question - why are things so bad and how did it get to this stage? The truth is, it has been that bad for 10 years.
"The hand-to-mouth existence of clubs can't happen when the hand to feed them has been cut off."
Fan-owned Exeter helped by academy sales
With no fans on the terraces, League Two clubs last week united in voting to have the season ended.
Exeter are fourth in the table and are now set to feature in the play-offs for the final promotion spot.
It will cost the club around £400,000, as players and staff are brought off the government's furlough scheme and testing for coronavirus needs to be covered.
But the Grecians can afford to play on.
They have the prudence of the fans' trust, which owns the club following its near financial collapse in 2003, to thank.
"It took 10 or 15 years of struggling to get it into a much stronger financial position," Exeter chairman Julian Tagg told BBC Sport. "Certainly it is way stronger than it ever was at the outset when the trust took over ownership.
"They have been very circumspect about how money should be spent, getting value for that money and taking care because there is no back up.
"The truth is, everyone is going to suffer, including us. It is very difficult but perhaps we have been better placed to help ourselves as best we can.
"I know there are a number of clubs that have struggled to pay wages prior to this event rather than during it.
"My surprise is that someone hasn't already gone to the wall. There are clubs closer to the wind than you would think across the board."
Julian Tagg has been an executive director at Exeter since 2013
Exeter's academy, which in recent years has produced Ethan Ampadu, Ollie Watkins and Matt Grimes, and subsequently made the club millions following their transfers, has helped the Devon side build up cash reserves.
"The academy has been a major part of that, it's something we have worked extremely hard at," said Tagg. "The temptation when we have had some good paydays and windfalls is to plough it straight back in immediately and we haven't done that. We've tried to be circumspect with the amounts that we put back in and the amounts that we hold back.
"No-one envisioned this. Again it will hurt us long term because how will you replace it? It is just reserves that are used up.
"It will make life particularly difficult for every football club."
The League One deadlock
While Exeter take pride in having a bottom line which is now keeping them afloat, they are also a side with ambition.
Playing out the season is something they could have afforded, but seeing the campaign curtailed and a potential automatic promotion spot go begging is not something Tagg decries - not with the very future of other clubs at stake.
"It wasn't right to push to continue the season, even if we thought we could finish in the automatic spots," Tagg said.
"Unity of the league is very difficult because you have some very entrepreneurial people with very fixed determined objectives, so for them to agree unanimously at the time was excellent.
"Football is a tough game - there are some tough individuals in there that have put in some small fortunes. I might have devoted a third of my life to the club, but I haven't devoted the same kind of finances as some of these people.
"Thinking of football as a whole and not as individual clubs was a very poignant moment and important one."
In League One, however, the debate of how to finish the season continues to rage, with teams split over a resolution.
Burton Albion chairman Ben Robinson, whose side are 12th with nine games still to play, said the vote by the sides in the division below was "incredible".
In the week that long-serving manager Nigel Clough left the club because of the financial pinch of the pandemic, Robinson said their very existence is being risked by trying to play on this season.
"I don't want us to play nine games and fork out £140,000 [for testing] when we're having to pay our overheads over the coming months when not knowing when next season's going to start," Robinson told BBC Radio 5 live.
"And more pertinently when it does start, are we going to get revenue from the fans and our season ticket holders?
"Financially, it's suicidal.
"To me, there's only one option which is to void the season now I know the impact of how much it's going to cost us to repay, around £100,000, under the TV deal."
League One talks last week stalled after at least six clubs in the third tier, including Sunderland, Portsmouth and Ipswich Town, said they wanted to continue the season.
Robinson refers to clubs with "vested interests", while finance expert Dr Wilson calls it "self-interest".
"It will threaten the final operations at a number of clubs in that division, no doubt whatsoever," Wilson said of playing out the season in the third tier.
"They will hardly be able to afford to test their players for coronavirus, let alone pay their wages.
"It is all well and good having a couple of big teams trying to dictate what should happen when in reality they have 23 teams that they need to look out for."
Fans' money 'keeping us going'
When clubs in League Two last week agreed to end the regular season campaign, refunding fans for games that would never take place was a financial drain that needed to be faced.
But clubs, including fan-owned Exeter, are finding that some supporters are happy to see money they have spent now put towards getting their teams through the economic fallout of the pandemic.
"A number have already said they don't want their money back, saying they want to see it used to help the club," Exeter chairman Tagg said.
"We have also had a good uptake on season ticket holders under exactly the same auspices.
"There are those who can help in such a way, but we have also been very careful and made sure that we don't have people doing this in a way that causes them any hardship.
"Those who are happy to do it, then that is great because it is very helpful and very useful for a club that is not bringing in any income.
"Everyone has great fans, everyone is a family club but this is very different because they do own it and they do feel a responsibility."
Port Vale chair Carol Shanahan said she and husband Kevin Shanahan had come in to "liberate the club" when they took over in May last year
At League Two rivals Port Vale, football's hibernation and the likelihood that a large portion of the 2020-21 season will be played behind closed doors has not stopped people from buying season tickets for next term.
Around 200 have been purchased since lockdown began, taking the total past 900.
Malcolm Hirst, of the Port Vale Supporters' Club, said renewing his seat was "a way of thanking" owners Carol and Kevin Shanahan, who took over from Norman Smurthwaite - an owner that threatened to put the club into administration in 2019.
"We owe a debt of gratitude to Carol and Kevin for how they have come in, transformed the club and given us hope," Hirst said.
"I don't think we had any semblance of hope for the future of this club for over a decade. We are willing to put our trust in them, even in such a short period of time they have earned it.
"The fact they are supporting the club with their own money through this period as well, it is a sense of standing with them and showing them that the fans are grateful."
Hirst said work being done by the club and owners during the public health crisis by providing thousands of food parcels for vulnerable families has resonated strongly with fans.
"If you can build a positive ethos around a club, fans will buy in," Hirst said. "It's just fantastic to see the club I've supported after 45 years or so doing its bit and helping."
For Luton, a club that won back-to-back promotions to reach the second tier for the first time in 12 years, the uptake of season tickets is helping keep them afloat.
"We're in a very precarious situation and if it wasn't for our supporters, executive members and sponsors who have stuck by us in this time, it would be much more precarious," CEO Sweet told BBC Three Counties Radio.
"It's those guys keeping us going at the moment, who are still willing to buy season tickets and executive packages for next season.
"It's all of those people who matter so much to us because ultimately it's their club and the fact that we own it is irrelevant, actually.
"They're not able to enjoy it [at the moment], yet they're still giving us their money in tough times and without that it would be a really difficult position."
What is the way out for clubs?
It started with wage cuts and deferrals, and a heavy uptake of the government's job retention scheme - which has been leaned on to pay players, as well as non-playing staff.
But as the longer-term repercussions of the pandemic have been laid bare, clubs lower down the pyramid are trying to be proactive and think up innovative ways to keep up some level of cashflow.
Even EFL chairman Rick Parry has conceded that the EFL needed a "proper reset post-Covid", with clubs currently "stacking up creditors".
While using stadiums as wedding venues, or for conferences and concerts are the sorts of non-football activities that has generated money in the past, social distancing means even restoring that income will take time.
Tifosy, a sports investment company founded by former Chelsea and Italy striker Gianluca Vialli and former investment banker Fausto Zanetton, have previously helped clubs, including Norwich and Portsmouth raise money, and earlier this season oversaw the part sale of Stevenage.
While prosperous times have made way for a pandemic, Zanetton says the company is still set up to help clubs generate funds.
"The whole business model of football and sport in general is dependent on games being played," said Zanetton, whose company also offers advisory services to clubs.
"But you have this fixed cost base [player wages] that is extremely high, so whatever disruption happens to your top line you are going to be naked. It is very difficult to hedge against that.
"On the capital raise side of the business our platform can enable clubs to raise money from investors who are fans of the club or close to the club globally.
"I think capital markets, banks, will come out of this crisis and not be very motivated to lend money to football clubs - they already weren't jumping up and down to do this before."
Thirty clubs - from League Two Plymouth Argyle to eighth-tier side Frome - have brought forward availability of ticket packages and various matchday experiences for next season, raising money through crowdfunding to pay the bills.
In all, fans have stumped up £300,000 via this method, with some clubs giving a slice of the money to charitable causes.
Last week England captain Harry Kane was given clearance by the FA, EFL and Premier League to sponsor the shirts of Leyton Orient, where he made his senior debut in 2011, next season, donating the advertising space to good causes.
The move could open the door for other high-profile players to follow suit in the coming months, showing support for a lower league club close to their hearts during a time when companies may not be so willing to commit to shirt sponsorship deals.
Orient fans have also donated £40,000 to the League Two club to keep them going.
Non-league side Daventry are planning to host drive-in movies to raise funds
But arguably the most creative idea for raising income involves eighth-tier Daventry Town, of the Southern League Division One Central.
The Northamptonshire side will show new and classic films using a 9m x 7m screen on their pitch.
People will watch the films from their cars, with sound coming through their radio, and money raised used to support the club's youth and adult sides.
"We're repurposing their ground to allow for this to happen," Ian Marriott, who runs Drive In Films, told BBC Radio Northampton.
"We're working very hard with the groundsman - it's been a challenge to persuade them but it's in the middle of summer.
"It makes good use of their facilities and their bills aren't stopping."


bbc--2020-05-22--Virgil van Dijk: Vincent Kompany says Liverpool defender Premier League's best ever

Former Manchester City skipper Vincent Kompany tells Football Focus why he thinks Liverpool 's Virgil van Dijk is the Premier @ @ @ @ @ and a worthy title winner this season .
WATCH MORE : Man Utd threw away @ @ @ @ @ Watch the full interview on Football Focus - Saturday , 23 May at 12:00 BST @ @ @ @ @ and the BBC Sport website and app .

Former Manchester City skipper Vincent Kompany tells Football Focus why he thinks Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk is the Premier League's best ever defender and a worthy title winner this season.
WATCH MORE: Man Utd threw away title in 2012 - Kompany
WATCH MORE: The guy who's partied with Aguero, Mbappe and Neymar
Watch the full interview on Football Focus - Saturday, 23 May at 12:00 BST on BBC One, iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.


bbc--2020-05-22--Biden: Black voters considering Trump 'ain't black'

Democratic White House candidate Joe Biden has said in an interview African Americans `` ai n't black '' if they vote for President Donald Trump over him .
The controversial exchange happened as radio host Charlamagne Tha God pressed the former vice-president on Friday about his outreach to black voters .
Mr Biden later expressed regret for the comment , insisting he had never taken African American support for granted .
Loyal support from black voters has been vital to Mr Biden 's candidacy .
What exactly did Biden say ?
Throughout the 18-minute interview , Mr Biden , 77 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black community , noting his overwhelming win this year in South Carolina 's presidential primary , a state where the Democratic electorate is more than 60 % African American .
• Will Joe Biden 's record come back to haunt him ?
• Biden bid to take on Trump gets major boost '' I won every single county .
I won the largest share of the black vote that anybody had , including Barack , '' he said of President Barack Obama , the country 's first African-American president , who picked Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden also `` guaranteed '' that several black women were being considered to serve as his vice-president .
The presumptive nominee has already committed to selecting a woman to join him on the Democratic ticket .
Toward the end of the interview , a campaign aide interrupted to say the former vice-president was out of time .
When an aide for Mr Biden tried to end the interview , Charlamagne protested , saying : `` You ca n't do that to black media . ''
`` I do that to white media and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` My wife has to go on at 6 o'clock , '' he said , apparently referring to Jill Biden needing to use their at-home broadcast studio .
Charlamagne urged Mr Biden to return for an additional interview , saying he had more questions .
`` If you have a problem figuring out whether you 're for me or Trump , then you ai n't black , '' Mr Biden responded .
Charlamagne said : `` It do n't have nothing to do with Trump .
It has to do with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community . ''
`` Take a look at my record , man ! ''
Biden said , throwing his hands in the air , seconds before concluding the interview .
Charlamagne 's nationally syndicated Breakfast Club show reaches more than 8 million listeners each month and has nearly 4.5 million subscribers on YouTube .
It has also become an important campaign stop for Democratic candidates .
In the most recent primary season , Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Senators Elizabeth Warren , Bernie Sanders and Cory Booker all made appearances .
Joe Biden just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identity in US politics .
Until now his support among black voters has been rock-solid , and there 's little chance Friday 's line will do much by itself to dent that .
The Trump campaign will be happy , however , if they can chip away even a sliver of Mr Biden 's support , particularly in key electoral states like Wisconsin and Michigan , where black voter apathy hurt Democrats in 2016 .
Mr Biden 's gaffe came at the end of an interview , as he was being pressed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over a black woman as his running mate .
That he responded with indignation - and then veered dangerously off-script - suggests his preference might lie with someone like Ms Klobuchar , who shares Mr Biden 's pragmatic political sensibilities .
If Friday 's kerfuffle has staying power , however , he might feel compelled to pick a black female candidate like Kamala Harris or Stacey Abrams - if only to clean up the mess he created .
How is the Biden camp trying to contain the damage ?
Biden campaign adviser Symone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying they were made `` in jest '' .
`` Let 's be clear about what the VP was saying : he was making the distinction that he would put his record with the African American community up against Trump 's any day .
Period . ''
Mr Biden endeavoured to make amends on a call later to black business leaders .
`` I should not have been so cavalier , '' he said .
`` I 've never , never , ever taken the African American community for granted . ''
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been such a wise guy . ''
He continued : `` No-one should have to vote for any party based on their race , their religion , their background . ''
The Trump campaign seized on the remarks , calling the exchange `` disgusting '' .
In a statement , senior campaign adviser Katrina Pierson described the remarks as `` racist and dehumanising '' .
`` He truly believes that he , a 77-year-old white man , should dictate how black people should behave , '' she said .
Her remarks were echoed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican .
`` That is the most arrogant , condescending comment I 've heard in a very long time , '' he told on Fox News .
`` He 's saying that 1.3 million African Americans , that you 're not black ?
Who in the heck does he think he is ? ''
the South Carolina lawmaker said , referring to the black Americans who voted for Mr Trump in 2016 .
Mr Biden 's words also provoked criticism from his side of the aisle .
Keith Boykin , a former aide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` Yes , Biden is a much better choice for black people than racist Trump .
`` But white people do n't get to tell black people what is black .
Biden still has to EARN our vote . ''
Derrick Johnson , president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ( NAACP ) , told CBS News that Mr Biden could not `` take the African American vote for granted '' .
Speaking to Charlamagne , Mr Biden had touted his previous endorsements from the NAACP .
Hip-hop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticisms of Mr Biden were referenced by Charlamagne - also wrote on Twitter : `` I already told you # BlackVoteAintFree '' .
Why is Biden popular among black voters ?
Mr Biden 's long political career has enjoyed enduring support from African Americans , fortified by the eight years he spent serving alongside Mr Obama - who remains hugely popular out of office .
A Quinnipiac University poll released this week showed Mr Biden 's support among black voters at a stunning 81 % , compared with 3 % for Mr Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know .
Mr Obama endorsed his former vice-president last month , saying in a video that Mr Biden `` has all the qualities we need in a president right now '' .
What 's the latest with the sex assault claim against Biden ?
In other developments , a former Senate aide who accuses Mr Biden of sexual assault has been dropped as a client by a prominent lawyer who has represented several # MeToo cases .
Tara Reade says Mr Biden attacked her in a Senate hallway in 1993 .
On Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's decision was no reflection on Ms Reade 's credibility , as he accused the media of a `` double standard '' and of attempting to victim-shame her .
It came as questions were raised about Ms Reade 's past .
A spokesperson for Antioch University in Seattle told the New York Times that she did not receive a degree from the university , though she listed one on her CV .
In a 2018 legal trial , in which she testified as an expert witness on domestic violence , records show she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ science from Antioch .
She also claimed to have been a legislative assistant to Mr Biden .
But she was actually a staff assistant - a more junior role .
Though Seattle University confirmed to Politico that Ms Reade did have a law degree from there , lawyers in cases she was involved in are now seeking to reopen them on the grounds that her credentials may have been faked .

Biden regrets saying black voters considering Trump 'ain't black' Published 23 May 2020
Image source, Getty Images
Democratic White House candidate Joe Biden is in damage limitation mode after saying African Americans "ain't black" if they even consider voting for President Donald Trump over him.
Gaffe-prone Mr Biden made the remark in an interview on Friday with a prominent black radio host, Charlamagne Tha God, about his outreach to black voters.
Mr Biden later expressed regret for the "cavalier" comment.
The black vote has been key to the Biden candidacy.
What exactly did Biden say?
Throughout the 18-minute interview, Mr Biden, 77, stressed his longstanding ties to the black community, noting his overwhelming win this year in South Carolina's presidential primary, a state where the Democratic electorate is more than 60% African American.
"I won every single county. I won the largest share of the black vote that anybody had, including Barack," he said of President Barack Obama, the country's first African-American president, who picked Mr Biden as his running mate.
The presumptive nominee for November's election also "guaranteed" that several black women were being considered to serve as his vice-president. He has already committed to selecting a woman to join him on the Democratic ticket.
Toward the end of the interview, a campaign aide interrupted to say the former vice-president was out of time.
When an aide for Mr Biden tried to end the interview, Charlamagne protested, saying: "You can't do that to black media."
"I do that to white media and black media," Mr Biden replied, adding that his wife was waiting to use their home broadcast studio.
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, The biggest myth about the 'black vote'
Charlamagne urged Mr Biden to return for another interview, saying he had more questions.
"If you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you ain't black," Mr Biden responded.
Charlamagne's nationally syndicated Breakfast Club show reaches more than 8 million listeners each month.
Image source, Reuters
Biden trips an electrical live wire
Joe Biden just touched a live electrical wire of racial identity in US politics.
Until now his support among black voters has been rock-solid, and there's little chance Friday's line will do much by itself to dent that. The Trump campaign will be happy, however, if they can chip away even a sliver of Mr Biden's support, particularly in key electoral states like Wisconsin and Michigan, where black voter apathy hurt Democrats in 2016.
Mr Biden's gaffe came at the end of an interview, as he was being pressed on whether he favoured Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar over a black woman as his running mate. That he responded with indignation - and then veered dangerously off-script - suggests his preference might lie with someone like Ms Klobuchar, who shares Mr Biden's pragmatic political sensibilities.
If Friday's kerfuffle has staying power, however, he might feel compelled to pick a black female candidate like Kamala Harris or Stacey Abrams - if only to clean up the mess he created.
How is the Biden camp trying to contain the damage?
Biden campaign adviser Symone Sanders defended the comments on Friday, saying they were made "in jest".
"Let's be clear about what the VP was saying: he was making the distinction that he would put his record with the African American community up against Trump's any day. Period."
Mr Biden scrambled to make amends on a call later to black business leaders.
"I should not have been so cavalier," he said. "I've never, never, ever taken the African American community for granted."
He added: "I shouldn't have been such a wise guy."
He continued: "No-one should have to vote for any party based on their race, their religion, their background."
Image source, Reuters Image caption, Mr Biden's resounding win among black voters in South Carolina healed seal his status as presumptive nominee
What's the reaction?
The Trump campaign seized on the remarks, which senior campaign adviser Katrina Pierson described as "racist and dehumanising".
"He truly believes that he, a 77-year-old white man, should dictate how black people should behave," she said.
Her comment was echoed by Senator Tim Scott, a black Republican.
"That is the most arrogant, condescending comment I've heard in a very long time," he told on Fox News.
"He's saying that 1.3 million African Americans, that you're not black? Who in the heck does he think he is?" the South Carolina lawmaker said, referring to the black Americans who voted for Mr Trump in 2016.
Mr Biden's words also provoked criticism from his side of the aisle.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Mr Biden often references his record as Barack Obama's running mate.
Keith Boykin, a former aide to Democratic President Bill Clinton, tweeted: "Yes, Biden is a much better choice for black people than racist Trump.
"But white people don't get to tell black people what is black. Biden still has to EARN our vote."
Derrick Johnson, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), told CBS News that Mr Biden could not "take the African-American vote for granted".
One disappointed black voter's response went viral.
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Why is Biden popular among black voters?
America knows Joe Biden as the vice-president to the first black president in history.
Mr Obama endorsed him last month, saying in a video that Mr Biden "has all the qualities we need in a president right now".
A Quinnipiac University poll released this week showed Mr Biden's support among black voters at a stunning 81%, compared with 3% for Mr Trump. The remainder said they didn't know.
What's the latest with the sex assault claim against Biden?
A former Senate aide who accuses Mr Biden of sexual assault has been dropped as a client by a prominent lawyer who has represented several #MeToo cases.
Tara Reade says Mr Biden attacked her in a Senate hallway in 1993. On Thursday, attorney Douglas Wigdor said his office's decision was no reflection on Ms Reade's credibility, and he accused the media of trying to victim-shame her.
It came as questions were raised about Ms Reade's past. A spokesperson for Antioch University in Seattle told the New York Times that she did not receive a degree from the university, though she had listed one on her CV.
She also claimed to have been a legislative assistant to Mr Biden. But she was actually a staff assistant - a more junior role.
However, Seattle University confirmed to Politico that Ms Reade did have a law degree from there.


bbc--2020-05-22--Coronavirus: Quarantine plans for UK arrivals unveiled

People arriving in the UK must self-isolate for 14 days from 8 June to help slow the spread of coronavirus , the government has said .
Travellers will need to tell the government where they will quarantine , with enforcement through random spot checks and £1,000 fines in England .
Home Secretary Priti Patel said the measure would `` reduce the risk of cases crossing our border '' .
Lorry drivers , seasonal farm workers , and coronavirus medics will be exempt .
The requirement will also not apply to those travelling from the Republic of Ireland , the Channel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If a person does not have suitable accommodation to go to , they will be required to stay in `` facilities arranged by the government '' at the person 's own expense , according to Border Force chief Paul Lincoln .
According to the Home Office , the new policy will be in place across the UK , although how it is enforced in Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland will be determined by the devolved administrations .
Scotland 's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said discussions would take place with Police Scotland to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implemented .
Ms Patel told the daily Downing Street briefing the measures were not the same as completely shutting the UK border to visitors .
`` We are not shutting down completely .
We are not closing our borders , '' she said .
And asked about the prospect of foreign holidays this summer , she added : `` This is absolutely not about booking holidays .
We want to avoid a second wave and that is absolutely vital . ''
• What are the new quarantine rules for passengers ?
• Will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year ?
• Why the NHS may need to hire cabin crew So-called `` air bridges '' - agreements with countries that have low infection rates allowing tourists to travel without quarantining - will not be in place initially , the government said .
The new measure , previously announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson , will be reviewed every three weeks once it is introduced .
But airlines have said a quarantine requirement would `` effectively kill air travel '' - and one airport boss described the plans as a `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommends international travel only when absolutely necessary , and nobody should travel if they display any coronavirus symptoms .
What does the new system involve ?
Passengers arriving in the UK will be required to fill out an online locator contact form - providing details of where they will spend their 14 days in self-isolation .
The Home Office said the proposed accommodation will need to meet necessary requirements , such as a hotel or a private address with friends or family .
There will be a fine of £100 for failure to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Force will have the power to refuse entry to non-UK citizens who do not comply with the new regulations .
New arrivals will be told they may be contacted at any time during their quarantine and , in England , may be visited by public health authorities conducting spot checks .
They will be told to avoid public transport and travel to their accommodation by car `` where possible '' , and not to go out to buy food or other essentials `` where they can rely on others '' .
In England @ @ @ @ @ @ @ punishable by a £1,000 fixed penalty notice , or prosecution and an unlimited fine for persistent offenders .
The big question being asked about quarantine is : why now ?
The government argues that it simply would n't have made enough of a difference while the virus was spreading widely within the UK .
But it has n't , so far , fully explained why such a blanket measure was not introduced much earlier in the outbreak , before the virus took hold .
People returning from Wuhan city and Hubei province in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days from late January .
Later , those returning from Italy were told to self-isolate .
But the measure was not extended to travellers from every country .
There are also questions about how this will work in practice and what it will mean for the travel industry , which is already suffering huge losses .
A full list of exemptions to the new requirements will be published in due course , the Home Office said .
But a provisional list includes road haulage and freight workers , medical professionals travelling to fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will self-isolate where they are working .
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The home secretary said the new measures aim to `` keep the transmission rate down and prevent a devastating second wave '' .
She added : `` I fully expect the majority of people will do the right thing and abide by these measures .
But we will take enforcement action against the minority of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Labour 's shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said the party supported the new measures `` but is clear they are no substitute for a long-term , well thought through approach '' .
The number of people who have died with coronavirus in the UK has reached 36,393 - a rise of 351 on Thursday 's figure .
Meanwhile , the government 's scientific advice group Sage published the key evidence on safety and the impact of reopening schools .
At the daily briefing , government chief scientific advisor Sir Patrick Vallance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not zero risk '' from coronavirus and that reopening schools would push up infection rates .
It came as teachers ' union leaders said they remained unconvinced it will be safe to reopen primary schools in England on 1 June .
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She said: "There's a whole range of support, not just financial, that the government can put in place to start helping the sector and we've heard very little from them. We really desperately need some help."


bbc--2020-05-22--Trump drug hydroxychloroquine raises death risk in Covid patients, study says

The drug US President Donald Trump said he was taking to ward off Covid-19 actually increases the risk of patients with the disease dying from it , a study in the Lancet has found .
The study said there were no benefits to treating patients with the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine .
Mr Trump said he was taking the drug despite public health officials warning that it could cause heart problems .
The president has repeatedly promoted the drug , against medical advice .
Hydroxychloroquine is safe for malaria , and conditions like lupus or arthritis , but no clinical trials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus .
• What 's known about anti-malarial drugs and Covid-19 ?
• The unproven 'corona drug ' US is threatening India for • Coronavirus : Where are cases still rising ?
The Lancet study involved 96,000 coronavirus patients , nearly 15,000 of whom were given hydroxychloroquine - or a related form chloroquine - either alone or with an antibiotic .
The study found that the patients were more likely to die in hospital and develop heart rhythm complications than other Covid patients in a comparison group .
The death rates of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; chloroquine 16.4 % ; control group 9 % .
Those treated with hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine in combination with antibiotics had an even higher death rate .
The researchers warned that hydroxychloroquine should not be used outside of clinical trials .
Mr Trump says he has not tested positive for Covid-19 and is taking the drug because he thinks it has `` positive benefits '' .
A trial is under way to see whether the anti-malarial drug could prevent Covid-19 .
More than 40,000 healthcare workers from Europe , Africa , Asia and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients with the disease will be given the drug as part of the trial .
When asked about the Lancet study , White House coronavirus taskforce co-ordinator Dr Deborah Birx said the US Food and Drug Administration had been `` very clear '' about concerns in using the drug as either a coronavirus prevention or as a treatment course .
Dr Marcos Espinal , director of the Pan American Health Organization - part of the World Health Organization - has stressed that no clinical trials have recommended the use of hydroxychloroquine for coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are the symptoms ?
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A trial is under way to see whether the anti-malarial drug could prevent Covid-19. More than 40,000 healthcare workers from Europe, Africa, Asia and South America who are in contact with patients with the disease will be given the drug as part of the trial.


bbc--2020-05-22--Kitten born with two faces in Oregon

Kitten born with two faces in Oregon

A family in Oregon was surprised to find one of their newborn kittens had two faces .
They 're calling @ @ @ @ @ - or just 'Biscuits ' for short .
The kitten can eat with either mouth @ @ @ @ @ mouth while eating with the other .
The life expectancy for these kinds of cats @ @ @ @ @ but the family is optimistic .

A family in Oregon was surprised to find one of their newborn kittens had two faces. They're calling the kitten Biscuits and Gravy - or just 'Biscuits' for short.
The kitten can eat with either mouth and sometimes meows with one mouth while eating with the other.
The life expectancy for these kinds of cats is typically very short, but the family is optimistic.
Update on 25 May: The kitten is thought to have died at three-and-a-half days old. Biscuit and Gravy's owner said: "He just didn't grow. It's hard work for a little guy like him to support a large head with two complete faces."


bbc--2020-05-22--Canada v US: Loon stabs eagle through heart

As with global affairs , nature has its pecking order .
And in a contest between the bald eagle , America 's national bird , and a common loon , which is featured on Canada 's dollar coin , few would bet on the latter to come out the victor .
But sometimes the underdog comes out on top , as was revealed when an eagle was found dead in the water near a dead loon chick in a Maine lake .
A necropsy revealed he was killed by a stab to the heart from a loon 's beak .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which are fearsome hunters .
Bald eagles are protected in the US , and typically their remains are sent to the directly to the National Eagle Repository in Colorado .
It is a crime in the US to kill an eagle , possess one or disturb its remains , except for special exemptions , such as in the use of Native American ceremonies .
But after seeing a dead baby loon chick so near the carcass , scientists began to wonder if the eagle could have been killed by an enraged mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Goliath .
So they sent the eagle not to the eagle repository , but to the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison , Wisconsin where it could be examined by a loon specialist .
There , a pathologist found that the eagle died by a quick stab to the heart from what appeared to be a loon beak , and the chick had eagle talon marks , indicating it had been captured by an eagle .
A nearby neighbour also told wildlife investigators she heard a `` hullabaloo '' the night before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ works for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife , shared the news on the department 's blog , noting it is the first confirmed case of a loon slaying an eagle .
`` Who would think a loon would stand a chance against such a powerful predator ? ''
she wrote .

But after seeing a dead baby loon chick so near the carcass, scientists began to wonder if the eagle could have been killed by an enraged mother loon in an avian equivalent of David and Goliath.


bbc--2020-05-22--Trump will 'override governors' on churches reopening

President Trump has urged state governors to allow places of worship to open as an essential service , adding that @ @ @ @ @ they chose not to .
The president has considerable power , but it is not @ @ @ @ @ governors to do this .
However , he could potentially withhold federal aid to states @ @ @ @ @ adequately allowing places to resume religious services .
Governors are responsible for the varying degrees @ @ @ @ @ been put in place to curtail the spread of Covid-19 .
Mr Trump said , @ @ @ @ @ need more prayer , not less '' .

President Trump has urged state governors to allow places of worship to open as an essential service, adding that he would override them if they chose not to.
The president has considerable power, but it is not within his means to order governors to do this. However, he could potentially withhold federal aid to states that he feels are not adequately allowing places to resume religious services.
Governors are responsible for the varying degrees of stay-at-home measures that have been put in place to curtail the spread of Covid-19.
Mr Trump said, "in America, we need more prayer, not less".


bbc--2020-05-22--UK PM's aide visited parent's home in lockdown

Dominic Cummings travelled hundreds of miles from London to County Durham during the lockdown when he had coronavirus symptoms .
Mr Cummings and his wife went to his parents ' home to self-isolate , a source close to the PM 's chief aide told BBC 's political editor Laura Kuenssberg .
The source insisted Mr Cummings did not break official guidance because the couple stayed in a separate building .
The story was first reported by the Mirror and Guardian newspapers .
Labour said No 10 needed to provide a `` very swift explanation '' for Mr Cummings ' actions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minister 's chief adviser appears to have breached the lockdown rules .
The government 's guidance was very clear : stay at home and no non-essential travel , '' a spokesman said .
`` The British people do not expect there to be one rule for them and another rule for Dominic Cummings . ''
• What are social distancing and self-isolation rules ?
The Scottish National Party 's Westminster leader Ian Blackford said Mr Cummings should resign or be dismissed by Boris Johnson and that it was a `` key test of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ed Davey , acting leader of the Liberal Democrats , added : `` If Dominic Cummings has broken the guidelines he will have to resign , it is as simple as that . ''
No 10 declined to comment on Friday night .
The Mirror and the Guardian reported Mr Cummings , the former Vote Leave chief who was the architect of the PM 's Brexit strategy , had been approached by the police .
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• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters Durham Constabulary said : `` On Tuesday , March 31 , our officers were made aware of reports that an individual had travelled from London to Durham and was present at an address in the city .
`` Officers made contact with the owners of that address who confirmed that the individual in question was present and was self-isolating in part of the house .
`` In line with national policing guidance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around self-isolation and reiterated the appropriate advice around essential travel . ''
At the time Dominic Cummings had coronavirus , there was only a limited set of reasons for which people were allowed to leave their homes .
And the advice for anyone with symptoms was - and is - not to leave home at all for at least seven days .
Remember there have already been other senior figures involved in tackling the pandemic who have had to resign for breaching lockdown restrictions - Scotland 's Former Chief Medical Officer Catherine Calderwood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who was advising the government .
A source close to Dominic Cummings is insistent that he did n't break the rules .
But for those at the top to be perceived to even be stretching the rules is damaging .
Along with triggering accusations of hypocrisy , it risks prompting people to question why they should be following the rules , if those involved in imposing them are not .
Government advice on 31 March was for the public to stay at home and only leave their address for clearly defined reasons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or for medical needs .
At the time - and as remains the case - those with symptoms of coronavirus are told to self-isolate at home and not leave even for essential supplies , if possible , for seven days .
The source close to Mr Cummings said he had not been spoken to by police , and that he had made the trip because his parents could help care for his young child while he and his wife were both ill with symptoms of coronavirus .
The PM said in a speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be left with older grandparents , or older relatives , who may be particularly vulnerable or fall into some of the vulnerable groups '' .
Former Conservative MP David Liddington , who was de facto deputy PM under Theresa May , told BBC Newsnight : `` There 's clearly serious questions that No 10 are going to have to address not least because the readiness of members of the public to follow government guidance more generally is going to be affected by this sort of story . ''
Mr Johnson 's positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March , and Downing Street said at the time that Mr Cummings did not have symptoms .
On 30 March , it was confirmed Mr Cummings had developed symptoms of the virus and was self-isolating at home .
Mr Cummings was next photographed at Downing Street on 14 April .

Former Conservative MP David Liddington, who was de facto deputy PM under Theresa May, told BBC Newsnight: "There's clearly serious questions that No 10 are going to have to address not least because the readiness of members of the public to follow government guidance more generally is going to be affected by this sort of story."


bbc--2020-05-22--Pakistan plane crash: Dozens die as jet hits homes in Karachi

A Pakistan International Airlines ( PIA ) passenger plane flying from Lahore has crashed into a residential area of Karachi , killing at least 76 people .
The pilots of flight PK8303 , an Airbus A320 carrying 91 passengers and eight crew , were attempting to land at the city 's Jinnah International Airport .
The plane had attempted one landing but as it went round again lost its engines and issued a mayday call .
At least two passengers are confirmed to have survived the crash .
One , Muhammad Zubair , has been describing his ordeal , recalling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to smoke and screaming .
It has yet to be confirmed but here is what we know so far .
Flight PK8303 was approaching Jinnah International Airport at about 14:30 local time ( 09:30 GMT ) .
It had been given permission to land but the pilots decided to abort and go around for a second attempt .
The reason is not yet known , but one civil aviation official told Reuters the plane may have been unable to lower its undercarriage .
Images posted on social media appeared to show scorch marks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visible on approach .
Purported audio of the conversation between air traffic control and a pilot for the second attempt was published by Pakistani media outlets , in which the pilot is heard saying the plane has `` lost engines '' .
An air traffic controller asks whether it is going to carry out a `` belly landing '' , to which the pilot replies `` mayday , mayday , mayday '' - the final communication from the plane .
The survivor , Muhammad Zubair , said there were 10-15 minutes between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` No-one was aware that the plane was about to crash ; they were flying the plane in a smooth manner , '' he said .
Investigators will try to retrieve the so-called black box recorders to help determine the cause .
A committee of investigation has already been set up .
PIA said the plane had joined the fleet in 2014 and passed its annual airworthiness inspection last November .
The crash came just days after Pakistan began allowing commercial flights to resume after a coronavirus lockdown .
Pakistanis across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Ramadan , with many travelling back to their homes in cities and villages .
What happened at the crash scene ?
The plane was only just short of the runway perimeter when it struck houses in the Model Colony residential area .
TV footage showed rescue crews combing through debris strewn across the streets of the densely populated zone .
A number of cars were set on fire .
Passenger Muhammad Zubair , who suffered only minor injuries , said that , when he came to , `` I could hear screams @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
All I could see was fire .
I could n't see any people - just hear their screams '' .
He added : `` I opened my seatbelt and saw some light - I went towards the light .
I had to jump down about 10ft ( 3m ) to get to safety . ''
Eyewitness Mohammed Uzair Khan told the BBC he had heard a massive sound and went outside his home .
`` Almost four houses were completely collapsed , there was so much fire and smoke , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neighbours , I ca n't tell you what a horrible thing it was . ''
What do we know about the casualties ?
Local health officials at two hospitals , the Jinnah and Civic hospitals , gave death tolls to the BBC and Pakistani media , adding up to 76 confirmed deaths .
But it was not clear how many of the dead were passengers and how many residents on the ground .
Zafar Masud , president of the Bank of Punjab , was the other passenger who survived the crash , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the front of the plane .
There are reports of other survivors but these have not been confirmed .
A senior journalist at TV channel 24 News , Ansar Naqvi , and an ex-head of the Punjab Disaster Management Authority , Khalid Sherdil , were also listed on the passenger manifest .
Pakistan 's Prime Minister Imran Khan said he was `` shocked and saddened '' by the crash , promising an immediate investigation .
What is Pakistan 's safety record like ?
In 2010 , an aircraft operated by private airline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 152 people on board - the deadliest air disaster in Pakistani history .
In 2012 , a Boeing 737-200 operated by Pakistan 's Bhoja Air crashed in bad weather on its approach to land in Rawalpindi , killing all 121 passengers and six crew .
And in 2016 , a Pakistan International Airlines plane burst into flames while travelling from northern Pakistan to Islamabad , killing 47 people .
Are you in Karachi ?
Did you witness the crash ?
Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .

Pakistan plane crash: Dozens die as jet hits homes in Karachi Published 22 May 2020
This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Media caption, The crash happened in the Model Colony residential area
A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) passenger plane flying from Lahore has crashed into a residential area of Karachi, killing at least 76 people.
The pilots of flight PK8303, an Airbus A320 carrying 91 passengers and eight crew, were attempting to land at the city's Jinnah International Airport.
The plane had attempted one landing but as it went round again lost its engines and issued a mayday call.
At least two passengers are confirmed to have survived the crash.
One, Muhammad Zubair, has been describing his ordeal, recalling how he lost consciousness then woke up to smoke and screaming.
What caused the crash?
It has yet to be confirmed but here is what we know so far.
Flight PK8303 was approaching Jinnah International Airport at about 14:30 local time (09:30 GMT). It had been given permission to land but the pilots decided to abort and go around for a second attempt.
The reason is not yet known, but one civil aviation official told Reuters the plane may have been unable to lower its undercarriage. Images posted on social media appeared to show scorch marks under both engines, with no undercarriage visible on approach.
Purported audio of the conversation between air traffic control and a pilot for the second attempt was published by Pakistani media outlets, in which the pilot is heard saying the plane has "lost engines". An air traffic controller asks whether it is going to carry out a "belly landing", to which the pilot replies "mayday, mayday, mayday" - the final communication from the plane.
The survivor, Muhammad Zubair, said there were 10-15 minutes between the first attempt at landing and the crash. "No-one was aware that the plane was about to crash; they were flying the plane in a smooth manner," he said.
Investigators will try to retrieve the so-called black box recorders to help determine the cause. A committee of investigation has already been set up.
PIA said the plane had joined the fleet in 2014 and passed its annual airworthiness inspection last November.
The crash came just days after Pakistan began allowing commercial flights to resume after a coronavirus lockdown.
Pakistanis across the country are preparing to celebrate the end of Ramadan, with many travelling back to their homes in cities and villages.
What happened at the crash scene?
The plane was only just short of the runway perimeter when it struck houses in the Model Colony residential area. TV footage showed rescue crews combing through debris strewn across the streets of the densely populated zone. A number of cars were set on fire.
Passenger Muhammad Zubair, who suffered only minor injuries, said that, when he came to, "I could hear screams from all directions. Kids and adults. All I could see was fire. I couldn't see any people - just hear their screams".
He added: "I opened my seatbelt and saw some light - I went towards the light. I had to jump down about 10ft (3m) to get to safety."
Image source, AFP Image caption, Rescuers evacuate an injured resident from the site, where a number of houses were destroyed
Eyewitness Mohammed Uzair Khan told the BBC he had heard a massive sound and went outside his home. "Almost four houses were completely collapsed, there was so much fire and smoke," he said. "They are almost my neighbours, I can't tell you what a horrible thing it was."
What do we know about the casualties?
Local health officials at two hospitals, the Jinnah and Civic hospitals, gave death tolls to the BBC and Pakistani media, adding up to 76 confirmed deaths. But it was not clear how many of the dead were passengers and how many residents on the ground.
Zafar Masud, president of the Bank of Punjab, was the other passenger who survived the crash, a provincial government spokesman said. Both were at the front of the plane. There are reports of other survivors but these have not been confirmed.
A senior journalist at TV channel 24 News, Ansar Naqvi, and an ex-head of the Punjab Disaster Management Authority, Khalid Sherdil, were also listed on the passenger manifest.
Image source, EPA Image caption, The crash site was just short of the airport perimeter
What is Pakistan's safety record like?
Pakistan has a chequered aviation safety record, including a number of airliner crashes.
In 2010, an aircraft operated by private airline Airblue crashed near Islamabad, killing all 152 people on board - the deadliest air disaster in Pakistani history.
In 2012, a Boeing 737-200 operated by Pakistan's Bhoja Air crashed in bad weather on its approach to land in Rawalpindi, killing all 121 passengers and six crew.
And in 2016, a Pakistan International Airlines plane burst into flames while travelling from northern Pakistan to Islamabad, killing 47 people.


bbc--2020-05-22--Coronavirus: Can children catch and pass on coronavirus?

How likely children are to catch and spread coronavirus is talked about a lot when it comes to deciding how @ @ @ @ @ .
The problem is that Covid-19 is a new disease and not something scientists have @ @ @ @ @ meaning the available data on the subject that 's currently available is sparse .
Here @ @ @ @ @ Laura Foster explains what we do know currently about how children are affected by the @ @

All schools in England are going back from 8 March.
In Scotland, younger primary pupils have gone back to school, along with some exam-year students in secondary school. A wider reopening has yet to be decided.
In Wales, younger primary years have also returned - with older primary pupils set to go back on 15 March if Covid levels continue to fall.
In Northern Ireland, younger primary pupils will return to classrooms on 8 March.
But how likely are children to catch and spread the virus?
BBC's Health reporter Laura Foster explains what we do know currently about how children are affected by the virus.
Video by Laura Foster, Terry Saunders and Tobias Chapple.


bbc--2020-05-22--Coronavirus: Leading economist warns of 10 years of depression and debt

Economist Nouriel Roubini has warned of a prolonged downturn and sluggish recovery from the coronavirus .
Nicknamed Dr Doom for his gloomy predictions , Professor Roubini said there are some jobs that simply will not come back after this crisis .
Even if the global economy recovers this year from the impact of the coronavirus , it will be `` anaemic '' .
He warned of `` unprecedented '' recession .
Professor Roubini foresaw the financial crisis in 2008 before many others .
`` During the global financial crisis it took about three years until output fell sharply , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ programme from his home in New York .
`` This time around it did n't take three years , not even three months .
In three weeks there was a freefall of every component . ''
Professor Roubini also said any recovery will be in the shape of what economists call a `` U '' , or even `` something closer to an L '' - what he calls a `` Greater Depression . ''
• What shape will a recession take- - BBC News A U-shaped recovery means that growth will fall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up only after a prolonged period of slow or no growth .
An L shaped recovery is even more drastic - falling sharply and staying there for an extended period of time .
That 's because of how many jobs have been lost in both rich and poor countries as a result of massive lockdowns to combat the virus .
`` These jobs that are gone are going to come back only in part , with lower wages , no benefits , part-time , '' he said .
`` There will be even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wages for the average working person . ''
His warning comes as the number of coronavirus cases globally tops five million , with many countries seeing a second wave of infections and struggling to reopen their economies - a key factor in whether economic growth can bounce back quickly .
`` You can open the stores but the question is whether they 're going to come back , '' he says .
`` Most of the shopping centres in China are still empty .
Half of the flights are n't there .
German @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go and shop ? ''
Emerging Asia though will see better growth than `` other advanced economies . ''
But there will be a greater split between the US and China , and many Asian countries will be forced to choose between the two superpowers .
`` Each one of them is going to say to the rest of the world , either you are with us or against us , '' he says .
`` Either you use my AI systems , my 5G , my technologies , my robotics .
Or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rival 's .
Therefore there is going to be a more divided world . ''
Professor Roubini 's moniker of Dr Doom was earned after he was famously and consistently negative on the global economy 's prospects - even as the US entered a stellar decade of stock market returns .
When asked whether holding a negative position for so long meant that at some point he would almost certainly be right , he told me he prefers the name Dr Realist , to Dr Doom .
`` When everyone said that China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2015 , I said it will be bumpy , '' he told me .
`` I 've actually been more optimistic than Wall Street was .
The people who say I 'm a broken clock that is right twice a day have not followed me . ''

"Each one of them is going to say to the rest of the world, either you are with us or against us," he says. "Either you use my AI systems, my 5G, my technologies, my robotics. Or you are using the one of my rival's. Therefore there is going to be a more divided world."


bbc--2020-05-22--US naval base shooting was 'terrorism related', FBI says

A shooting at a Texas naval base that wounded one sailor and left the suspected gunman dead was `` terrorism related '' , the FBI said on Thursday .
At about 06:15 local time , the suspect tried to drive through a gated entrance to Naval Air Station Corpus Christi before opening fire , striking a sailor .
But the sailor was able to raise a security barrier to block the vehicle , officials told the Associated Press .
There is a possible second suspect still at large , authorities said .
`` We have a potential second related person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but we would encourage the public to remain calm , '' FBI Supervisory Special Agent Leah Greeves said at a news conference on Thursday .
• How has the lockdown affected US crime ?
The injured sailor was treated in hospital for a minor injury and has been discharged , according to authorities .
Authorities have not yet named the suspect , who died at the scene , but he has been widely named in US media as Adam Alsahli .
The FBI has determined that Thursday 's shooting was terror related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not elaborate on how authorities made this assessment or indicate a potential motive .
`` We are working diligently with our state , local and federal partners on this investigation , which is fluid and evolving , '' she said .
The FBI 's Houston field office has taken the lead on the investigation .
Officials are still working to process the crime scene .
The Justice Department told the New York Times that `` electronic media '' had been found , meaning the suspect 's smart phone or other device could have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The base was on lockdown for about five hours after the incident , but was lifted shortly before noon local time .
The facility had a similar incident in December of last year .
A man pleaded guilty to destruction of US government property and possession of a stolen firearm after driving his truck into a barricade at the station , according to the Associated Press .
And Thursday 's attack comes just days after the FBI announced that the member of the Royal Saudi Air Force who killed three sailors at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with al-Qeaeda in the Arabian Peninsula ( AQAP ) in planning the attack .
According to the FBI , the gunman who was killed by authorities after shooting 11 people , had been radicalised before arriving in Florida for a three-year aviation course the US navy hosts for allied foreign servicemen .

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bbc--2020-05-23--Brazil court releases foul-mouthed Bolsonaro video

Brazil 's Supreme Court has released a video showing President Jair Bolsonaro expressing frustration that he was unable to change security officials and vowing to protect his family .
The video forms part of an investigation into allegations that the president attempted to replace senior members of the federal police .
The growing political crisis comes amid concerns that Brazil could be the next epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic .
On Friday the country recorded 1,001 new deaths , bringing its total to 21,048 , and it has the second highest number of cases in the world with more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their posts in the space of a month after publicly disagreeing with the government 's handling of the crisis .
What does Bolsonaro say in the video ?
Addressing his cabinet in the expletive-laden footage filmed in April , Mr Bolsonaro says : `` I 've tried to change our security people in Rio de Janeiro officially , and I was n't able to .
That 's over .
I wo n't wait for my family or my friends to get screwed .
`` If one can not change the law enforcement official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not his boss , then the minister . ''
Brazil 's public prosecutor is investigating allegations by former justice minister Sergio Moro that Mr Bolsonaro fired the head of the federal police because he wanted someone in the role who would provide him with police intelligence reports .
The president 's sons are under investigation over alleged wrongdoing .
They include Senator Flavio Bolsonaro , who is being investigated for alleged corruption .
Responding to the Supreme Court 's decision to release the footage , Mr Bolsonaro wrote on Facebook that he had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ personal security and not senior police officers .
There was `` no indication of interference in the federal police , '' he said .
Brazilians were so desperate to see this video that when it was released , the Supreme Court website crashed .
The cabinet meeting was filmed last month and is littered with foul-mouthed remarks by the president .
The video also revealed attitudes within the wider cabinet , like the environment minister suggesting that coronavirus was a good opportunity - with the press looking the other way - to simplify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is undoubtedly explosive but this throws Brazil into a political crisis at the worst possible time , when instead it needs to be focussed on trying to control a virus that 's taking hold of the country .
How did the political crisis come about ?
Mr Moro , the former justice minister , stepped down last month after Mr Bolsonaro fired federal police chief Mauricio Valeixo - an ally of Mr Moro - without giving a reason for the decision .
Accusing the president of wanting to install a new federal police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports , he said providing such information `` is not the job of the federal police '' .
Days later , Brazil 's top public prosecutor requested clearance to investigate the allegations made by Mr Moro .
Mr Moro is a popular figure in Brazil .
He is a former judge who oversaw the country 's biggest anti-corruption probe , which uncovered billions of dollars of bribes and led to the convictions of dozens of high-profile business leaders and politicians .
The sound of pot-banging protests rang out in cities across Brazil after @ @ @ @ @

Responding to the Supreme Court's decision to release the footage, Mr Bolsonaro wrote on Facebook that he had been referring to members of his own personal security and not senior police officers. There was "no indication of interference in the federal police," he said.


bbc--2020-05-22--Hong Kong: Pompeo condemns China’s law as ‘death knell’ for freedoms

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has condemned China 's plan to impose a new security law in Hong Kong , calling it a `` death knell '' for the city 's freedoms .
China is seeking to pass a law that would ban `` treason , secession , sedition and subversion '' in Hong Kong .
Critics say the law would strip Hong Kong of the rights it currently enjoys , that are not seen in mainland China .
Mr Pompeo said the decision to bypass Hong Kong 's lawmakers ignores `` the will of the people '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to reconsider its disastrous proposal , abide by its international obligations , and respect Hong Kong 's high degree of autonomy , democratic institutions , and civil liberties , '' Mr Pompeo said in a statement on Friday .
Mr Pompeo 's intervention is likely to infuriate the Chinese government , whose relations with the US have been strained recently by disputes over trade and the coronavirus pandemic .
A joint statement from UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and his Australian and Canadian counterparts also expressed `` deep concern '' at China 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such a law on Hong Kong 's behalf without the direct participation of its people , legislature or judiciary would clearly undermine the principle of 'one country , two systems ' , under which Hong Kong is guaranteed a high degree of autonomy . ''
In Hong Kong , pro-democracy activists have been calling for support from Western governments after China announced the law .
On Friday , campaigners urged mass protests over the weekend .
The law was submitted at the annual National People 's Congress ( NPC ) , which largely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership , but is still the most important political event of the year .
• China 's new law : Why is Hong Kong so worried ?
• All the context you need on Hong Kong 's protests Hong Kong , a semi-autonomous region and an economic powerhouse , was required to introduce such a law after the handover from British control to Chinese rule in 1997 .
But its unpopularity means it has never been done - the government tried in 2003 but had to back down after 500,000 people took to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wave of sustained and often violent protests in Hong Kong last year , Beijing is attempting to push the law through .
The Chinese government argues the law is necessary to `` prevent , stop and punish '' such protests in the future .
Hong Kong 's government said it would co-operate with Beijing to enact the law , adding it would not affect the city 's freedoms .
Why is the law so controversial ?
Hong Kong is what is known as a `` special administrative region '' of China .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems '' since Britain returned sovereignty in 1997 , which has allowed it certain freedoms the rest of China does not have .
• What is the Basic Law and how does it work ?
Pro-democracy activists fear that China pushing through the law could mean `` the end of Hong Kong '' - that is , the effective end of its autonomy and these freedoms .
In his statement , Mr Pompeo said any decision to impinge on Hong Kong 's autonomy and freedoms would `` inevitably impact our assessment '' of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is currently considering whether to extend Hong Kong 's preferential trading and investment privileges .
President Trump has also weighed in , saying the US would react strongly if it went through - without giving details .
What is in Beijing 's proposed law ?
The `` draft decision '' - as it is known before approval by the NPC - was explained by Wang Chen , vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC .
It consists of an introduction and seven articles .
Article 4 may prove the most controversial .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ improve '' national security , before adding : `` When needed , relevant national security organs of the Central People 's Government will set up agencies in Hong Kong to fulfil relevant duties to safeguard national security in accordance with the law . ''
That means China could potentially have its own law enforcement agencies in Hong Kong , alongside the city 's own .
Addressing the congress , Premier Li Keqiang said : `` We 'll establish sound legal systems and enforcement mechanisms for safeguarding national security in the two Special Administrative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carrie Lam , who is seen as part of the pro-Beijing political establishment , said the law would help authorities tackle illegal activity in the city .
China has long desired a new national security law for Hong Kong .
Beijing believes almost a year of mass protests and , at times , paralysing confrontations on the streets shows that now it is needed more than ever .
But critics point to what they say are ambiguities inherent in such a law and the broad , generalist framework it would bring to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tradition than the communist-controlled mainland .
`` Treason , sedition and subversion '' are all open to a very wide interpretation .
Up to now , the worst charge most arrested protesters have faced has been for rioting .
The notion of `` terrorism '' also features in this proposed law .
That too could encompass wide-ranging acts and activities that the authoritarian rulers on the mainland consider far more menacing than those in Hong Kong , or for that matter elsewhere .
China could essentially place the draft law into Annex III @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national laws that must be implemented in Hong Kong - either by legislation , or decree .
The NPC is expected to vote on the draft law at the end of its annual session , on 28 May .
It will then be forwarded to the NPC 's Standing Committee , China 's top legislature , which is expected to finalise and enact the law by the end of June .
Why is China doing this ?
Last year , Hong Kong was rocked by months of protests sparked by a bill that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Mr Wang said the security risks had become `` increasingly notable '' - a reference to last year 's protests .
`` Considering Hong Kong 's situation at present , efforts must be made at the state-level to establish and improve the legal system and enforcement mechanisms , '' he is quoted as saying in state media .
Beijing may also fear September 's elections to Hong Kong 's legislature .
If last year 's success for pro-democracy parties in district elections is repeated , government bills could potentially be blocked .

Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous region and an economic powerhouse, was required to introduce such a law after the handover from British control to Chinese rule in 1997. But its unpopularity means it has never been done - the government tried in 2003 but had to back down after 500,000 people took to the streets.