thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-24--Covid Tiers: How The New Rules For Your Area Will Be Decided

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England’s national four-week lockdown comes to an end on December 2 and will be replaced with a new system of local restrictions.
The country will be divided into tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3 areas with escalating strictness of rules designed to try and control the spread of coronavirus.
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The government is due to announce on Thursday which regions will be put into which tier based on the “most up-to-date” information, which will also be published.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps said on Tuesday morning he accepted that “no one is going to be happy” about being under tiered restrictions but “at least you can see why your area is in that tier”.
The decisions will “primarily” be based on five key indicators:
Case detection rates in all age groups
Case detection rates in the over 60s
The rate at which cases are rising or falling
Positivity rate (the number of positive cases detected as a percentage of tests taken)
Pressure on the NHS, including current and projected occupancy
The government has also said it wants to be flexible when applying the criteria based on the “context” of local areas.
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For example hospital capacity in a given area will need to be considered in light of the capacity in neighbouring areas and the feasibility of moving patients.
Case detection rates will be weighted against whether the spread of the virus appears to be localised to particular communities.
This means ministers have not set “rigid thresholds” for when a particular indicator means an area should be placed into a particular tier.
The new tiers are stricter than the system in place before the national lockdown, and regions may enter a different tier on December 2 than they were in previously.
Tier 1
The rule-of-six for social gatherings, both indoor and outdoor, will be enforced, unless for work and education purposes.
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Shops, gyms, hairdressers, beauty salons and leisure centres will be open.
Pubs and restaurants can open, but there is table service only and venues must take last orders at 10pm and close their doors at 11pm.
Collective worship and weddings can take place, with a maximum of 15 guests.
Outdoor sports can take place but there is a maximum crowd size of either 50% occupancy of the stadium or 4,000 spectators, whichever number is smaller.
Indoor sport can take place with a maximum of 1,000 spectators.
People are encouraged to minimise travel and to work from home where possible.
Tier 2
Mixing of households indoors will be banned and the rule-of-six for social gatherings applies for outdoors.
Shops, gyms, hairdressers, beauty salons and leisure centres will be open.
Pubs and restaurants can open but alcohol can only be served with a substantial meal, with the same opening times restriction as in tier 1.
Collective worship and weddings can take place, with a maximum of 15 guests.
Outdoor sports can take place but there is a maximum crowd of 50% of overall capacity or 2,000, whichever is smaller.
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Indoor sport can take place with a maximum of 1,000 spectators.
People should work from home where possible.
Tier 3
Household mixing both indoors and outdoors is banned. The rule-of-six for gatherings in public gardens or parks applies.
Shops, gyms, hairdressers, beauty salons and leisure centres will be open.
Hospitality venues such as pubs and restaurants, hotels and indoor entertainment venues will be forced to close. Delivery and takeaway services will be permitted, however.
Attending indoor and outdoor sport events is banned.
People should avoid travelling outside their area except for work, education or health reasons.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-24--Joe Biden Sparks Excitement With Just 3 Letters On His New Website

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President-elect Joe Biden on Monday shared a tweet showing off a new website for his transition effort.
And his supporters are excited by just three letters in the URL: .gov.
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The new site, BuildBackBetter.gov, is one of the first visible signs that the formal transition is now underway, hours after the General Services Administration finally signed off on giving Biden’s team access to the resources it needs to begin the process.
The website itself is fairly standard, with information about the incoming administration, its priorities, the transition effort and more.
It also has a place to submit resumes.
But given that GSA administrator Emily Murphy delayed the transition for weeks as President Donald Trump waged a legal war against the election results, Biden supporters celebrated the new ”.gov” domain:
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For those following along, the .com versus .gov domain was actually significant as far as the official start of the peaceful transition of power. https://t.co/WQg0GzC4tF — Jon Ostrower (@jonostrower) November 24, 2020
Within hours.
That's competence, and it's been a while. https://t.co/75T1mOPHqt — Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) November 24, 2020
THE CHILLS I GOT SEEING THAT DOT GOV https://t.co/g3Ggy8qfN5 — Michael Fitzwater (@Mpfitzwater) November 24, 2020
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here we go .. official gov website! https://t.co/IXhEvpN53u — Mary McDonnell (@MaryMcDonnell10) November 24, 2020
Dot — and folks, I can’t stress this enough — Gov https://t.co/jIXhiuJNld — Rob Flaherty (@Rob_Flaherty) November 24, 2020
That .gov really hits different https://t.co/mhmFm66dYM — Mayor Svante Myrick (@SvanteMyrick) November 24, 2020
Biden is now able to work within the .gov websites as the GSA has begun allowing Biden access to transition resources.
I know a lot of Trumpers think this is 4D chess for Trump to win the election, but in reality tonight is where Trump's challenges died a long overdue death. https://t.co/ro71fGtJ98 — Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) November 24, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-24--Watch Fox News Host Finally Tell Viewers That Biden Beat Trump

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Fox News host Laura Ingraham warned her viewers on Monday night that it’s just about over for President Donald Trump ― and that they should be ready for President-elect Joe Biden.
“Unless the legal situation changes in a dramatic and frankly an unlikely manner, Joe Biden will be inaugurated on January 20th,” she declared.
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Trump has falsely claimed he won the election, and his team has filed fruitless legal challenges across multiple states in an attempt to throw out votes.
Trump has vowed to appeal these cases to the Supreme Court.
Ingraham said the president has that right ― but told viewers that effort was going nowhere.
“To say this constitutes living in reality,” she said, adding:
“And if I offered you a false reality, if I told you that there was an excellent, phenomenal chance that the Supreme Court was going to step in and deliver a victory to President Trump, I’d be lying to you.”
See more of her monologue below, in which she said Republicans must now work to stop the “most egregious moves” of the incoming Biden administration:
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While Fox News has been consistently friendly turf for Trump, both he and his viewers have turned on the network in recent months. That turn reached an apex when Fox News became the first network to call Arizona ― a state that hadn’t voted for a Democrat since 1996 ― for Biden.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-24--Megan Thee Stallion Made An Album For Every Black Woman Who Is Fed Up

On Sunday evening, as rapper Megan Thee Stallion racked up trophies and performed her new hit single “Body” on stage at the American Music Awards, rapper Tory Lanez had this to say on Twitter: “The double standard is wild.”
It’s unclear which double standard Lanez, who is charged with shooting Megan Thee Stallion in July, was referring to. He recently pleaded not guilty to the charges related to the incident, which sparked conversations about the ways Black women are undervalued and underprotected.
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When Lanez released an entire album earlier this year denying that he had shot Megan, people actively questioned whether she had even been shot (because she initially refused to name him), forcing her to share photos of her gunshot wounds to quiet skeptics.
The jokes, memes and incredulity surrounding Megan’s “side of the story” swirled in conjunction with outrage and disgust over the release of Cardi B’s raunchy hit song “WAP.” The overlap between people who doubted Megan or questioned her actions and people who found her lyrics too sexually explicit suggested that, at the end of the day, what it really came down to was straight-up misogynoir.
This was a double standard Meg called out in a Marie Claire interview, where she said: “A man can be as mediocre as he wants to be but still be praised. A man can talk about how he’s about to do all of these drugs and then come and shoot your house up. But as soon as I say something about my vagina, it’s the end of the world? What are you really mad about? You cannot be mad about me rapping about sex. That’s not what you’re mad about.”
Megan Thee Stallion performs onstage for the 2020 American Music Awards. Kevin Mazur via Getty Images
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Indeed, whatever Lanez is mad about, it probably has less to do with some perceived double standard and more to do with the fact that Megan, in spite of everything, continues to thrive. His tweet, just like the 17-track album he released earlier this year casting doubt on her allegations, is a way to reinsert himself into her narrative and disrupt a moment of arrival for her into the mainstream that is well-earned and a long time coming.
His tactics aren’t working, though.
On Friday, Megan released her debut studio album, “Good News,” a 17-track declaration of independence from the chaos of 2020. The album is imperfect — songs including “Don’t Rock Me To Sleep” and “Movie” throw off its equilibrium — but it does establish Megan as a rapper to take seriously and a woman not to be messed with. She wastes no time addressing the situation with Lanez — who claimed on his album that he and Megan were in a relationship and that he didn’t shoot her — on her album’s first track, “Shots Fired.”
Over a sample of Biggie’s 1995 track “Who Shot Ya,” Megan says: “Imagine niggas lyin’ ‘bout shootin’ a real bitch/Just to save face for rapper niggas you chill with.”
“You shot a 5’10’’ with a .22,” she adds later, “Talking ’bout bones and tendons like them bullets wasn’t pellets.”
And then, she moves on. There are, of course, a few potential swipes taken at Lanez, including: “Don’t you hate when you hold a nigga down and he’s a clown?” on the song “Circles.” But for the most part, Megan is far more interested in asserting herself as an entity outside of her beefs and the drama of this year. Throughout the album, she celebrates her body, her sexuality, her Blackness and her lyrical prowess in a way that isn’t coy or performative, but straight to the point.
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“Don’t fuck me like this, fuck me like that,” she instructs on the track “Don’t Stop.”
“I ain’t for the streets, ’cause bitch, I am the street/And I ain’t on these niggas, all these niggas be on me,” she brags on “Outside.”
The overall effect is a perfect time capsule of her brilliant rise in popularity in the midst of trauma. It also represents a cultural moment for Black women in rap and Black women in general that probably won’t reveal itself fully until several years from now.
But if one had to venture to describe what the rise of Megan Thee Stallion represents, it might be the pop-cultural touchstone of a year in which Black women have been especially fed up. The reactions to Megan’s shooting, in addition to the misogynist criticisms of her collaboration with Cardi B on “WAP,” only seemed to highlight the constant disrespect Black women experience.
“If one had to venture to describe what the rise of Megan Thee Stallion represents, it might be the pop-cultural touchstone of a year in which Black women have been especially fed up.”
It’s easy to look cynically at Megan’s infusion of politics into her performances and her rhymes; she calls out the lack of justice for Breonna Taylor in her album’s opening track. Some have accused her of using her so-called beef with Lanez and the conversation about violence as a gimmick to feed her own celebrity. But that is a flawed suggestion. It exposes how little people recognize how Black women actually open themselves up to more criticism, harassment and potential lost opportunities for politicizing an art form that marginalizes people who sit at the intersection of race and gender.
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This isn’t to deify Megan or to suggest she’s trying to be anything other than what she is, which is a really great rapper. But credit is still due to her. Amid the disrespect, the physical and emotional violence, and the underappreciated organizing and activism Black women have led this year, Megan provided little pockets of respite.
With a viral TikTok dance and then the “Savage” remix with Beyoncé, she provided a deeply needed outlet, a bit of levity in a year of relentlessly bad news. And then came “WAP,” quite simply the song of the summer. In spite of the blowback it received from misogynists who couldn’t abide the idea of women talking openly and enthusiastically about sex, the song was one of the most unifying and joy-making pop cultural moments of 2020, and certainly the most memorable.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-24--Woman Dies After Being Hit By A Car Near I'm A Celebrity Castle In Wales

A woman has died after being hit by a car near the castle where the current series of I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! is being filmed.
Sharn Iona Hughes was hit by a vehicle near Gwrych Castle in North Wales, where her family said she was trying to take photos of the site.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
In a statement (via North Wales Live), her family said: “Sharn passed away on November 21 at roughly 5pm on the A547 Abergele Road, whilst attempting to see the lights at Gwrych Castle.
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“Sharn was the youngest daughter of John & Gloria (nee Garbutt) Bevan and she was the devoted wife of Elfyn Hughes, and loving mother to Arron & Annah Hughes.”
Gwyrch Castle is the current home of I'm A Celebrity Christopher Furlong via Getty Images
They continued: “Her family and friends are in total shock and perplexed by her tragic death and wish to say the following about their loss.
“Sharn was so selfless, and had such a joyous, charitable attitude to life. She was in the process of organising deliveries of hampers to the local food bank through the Women’s Institute. We’ll miss her kindness forever.
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“Her curiosity led to her wanting to see the lights at Gwrych Castle, which unfortunately led to her untimely tragic death along a very busy road.”
Sharn’s family added that she had been “hoping to take a photo” of the castle to send to a friend, urging others to “take so much care and remember it is a busy main A class road”.
North Wales police said: “We are appealing for witnesses following a collision on the A547 Abergele Road near Llanddulas in which a woman has sadly died.
“We received a report at 5.06pm on Saturday of a collision involving a female pedestrian and a blue Volvo estate car at a location known as Middle Gate. A woman from the local area was pronounced dead at the scene.
“The driver of the Volvo was left shocked, but uninjured by the collision.”
This year's I'm A Celebrity contestants inside Gwrych Castle ITV/Shutterstock
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North Wales Live has reported that the road in question previously had a 60mph speed limit, which has been lowered to 30mph since the tragedy.
A Conwy Council spokeswoman also told the local news outlet: “We are aware of the tragic incident on A547 between Llanddulas and Abergele on Saturday evening. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those involved.
“The circumstances surrounding the incident are currently being investigated by North Wales Police. It would be inappropriate to speculate on the circumstances before the police have had an opportunity to conclude their investigations.”
I’m A Celebrity is currently filming at the Welsh site after moving from its usual location in the Australian jungle due to the coronavirus pandemic.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-24--I'm A Celebrity Fans Unimpressed As Shane And Vernon Are Heard Criticising Jessica And Jordan

I’m A Celebrity viewers were left fuming during Monday night’s show, when campmates Shane Richie and Vernon Kay were caught speaking less than favourably about fellow contestants Jessica Plummer and Jordan North.
During the latest episode of the show, Jessica and AJ Pritchard won just six stars of a possible 10 for the camp after taking part in a Bushtucker Trial in complete darkness.
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While most of the celebrities tried to console Jessica after she admitted she was disappointed in how she’d performed, Vernon and Shane discussed the matter in a late-night private chat.
Vernon revealed to the former EastEnders star that AJ had told him Jessica was “petrified” during her challenge, to which Shane suggested she and Jordan – who previously won praise from viewers for facing his various fears – were cut “from the same cloth”.
Shane Richie and Vernon Kay ITV/Shutterstock
“I say this every year I watch [I’m A Celebrity],” Shane said. “Why do they do it? They know what’s gonna happen.”
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Vernon responded: ’The more you show [how scared you are], the more they’re gonna give it to you.”
Jessica Plummer admitted she was disappointed by how she performed in her trial ITV/Shutterstock
Following the chat, Shane said he expected Jessica would be chosen for the next challenge because of her performance in the previous trial.
Imagine his surprise, then, when he was actually the one that was picked...
Not Shane and Vernon sat there basically putting people down for having fears... excuse me, we had higher hopes for you two (p.s. AJ was the petrified one) #ImACeleb pic.twitter.com/EfFR7o7EWg — Sophie (@sophiecromack) November 23, 2020
felt awful for Jessica and AJ tonight after the trial they had to do. then seeing Shane and Vernon talk about Jordan and Jessica in such a unkind way? like I don't understand why. #ImACeleb — Amy 🌍 (@amyontheavenue) November 23, 2020
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Shane bitching with Vernon, saying it’ll be Jessica 100% for tomorrow’s trial then he gets voted in is the kind of karma I want to see #ImACeleb — Purple Tangerine (@kbravenface) November 23, 2020
shane “it’s 100% jess on the next trial”
day later:
shane is doing the next trial #ImACeleb #imacelebrity pic.twitter.com/BGCYteSW8I — elley x (@elleyfreeman) November 23, 2020
i feel betrayed by shane he was one of my favourites until this episode #imaceleb pic.twitter.com/ZuSb8yYIgy — jess (@antandeclan) November 23, 2020
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Shane Richie 🙄 That was well deserved. Shouldn't be so snidey. The public don't like that. #ImACeleb — Vanessa V (@shewithcapitalV) November 23, 2020
During the same episode, Shane said his nightmare would be a trial involving fish guts, which Ant and Dec later teased could be coming up…
Shane: I don’t want the fish guts
Us: pic.twitter.com/27DebkFay5 — antanddec (@antanddec) November 23, 2020
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the #imacelebrity crew adding fish guts to the trial before shane does it tonight #ImaCeleb pic.twitter.com/VCLC9mF2cg — alice 🌻 (@sunflower__v6) November 24, 2020
Shane will tackle the Cruel Jewels trial in Tuesday night’s instalment of the long-running ITV reality show, which will see him undergo a “terrible treasure hunt”.
Find out how he gets on in I’m A Celebrity, airing at 9pm on ITV.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-24--TV News Programme Forced To Apologise After Stating The Very Much Alive Bob Dylan Had Died

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A news programme had to issue an embarrassing apology after falsely stating that Bob Dylan had died.
The Australian Today show was airing a segment about the auction of some of the legendary musician’s documents at the weekend when they referred to him as the “late singer”.
During the broadcast, an on-screen banner read “Late singer’s documents sell for $495 thousand.”
The faux pas led to presenter Richard Wilkins making an apology to viewers.
“We need to make a correction now,” he said. “About half an hour ago on our entertainment chat, we incorrectly ran a banner on your screen about Bob Dylan. It was false and we apologise for any confusion.”
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Today presenter Richard Wilkins was forced to apologise after it was wrongly stated that Bob Dylan (right) had died. Today/PA
Among the documents that were sold at the auction were unpublished lyrics written by the singer, as well as letters and transcripts of interviews between him and the late American blues musician Tony Glover.
The collection previously belonged to Glover, with the majority of the separate lots bought by an unnamed bidder.
Within the transcribed interviews, Dylan speaks about how antisemitism influenced his decision to change his name from Robert Zimmerman.
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“A lot of people are under the impression that Jews are money lenders and merchants,” he said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-24--Twitter Users Mock Melania Trump's ‘Who Gives A F**k About Christmas’ Tree

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First lady Melania Trump welcomed the arrival of her final White House Christmas tree on Monday, a gesture likely greeted with a sigh of relief given her antipathy toward holiday decor.
In a 2018 conversation recorded by former friend and aide Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, who released the audio last month, the first lady griped about decorating the White House for the holiday.
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“I’m working like a, my ass off at Christmas stuff,” she said. “You know, who gives a fuck about Christmas stuff and decoration but I need to do it, right?”
Twitter users were quick to deliver some reminders of those comments.
Comedy legend Eric Idle of Monty Python fame suggested that the first lady can duet with him on “Fuck Christmas.”
I’m looking forward to her singing Fuck Christmas with me... https://t.co/UuOYUpadhh — Eric Idle (@EricIdle) November 23, 2020
He’s referring, of course, to this holiday classic, from a 2014 performance at Brian Cox and Robin Ince’s “Christmas Compendium of Reason.”
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Others also noted the first lady’s personal war on Christmas:
I’m very much looking forward to the Hamilton-style musical about Trump when we’ll get to hear Melania’s “Who gives a fuck about Creezmus” song. https://t.co/aPVnDNmgif — Jon Cryer (@MrJonCryer) November 24, 2020
Oh, who could forget Melania’s “war on Christmas”....
Fa-la-la-la-la 😂😂😂 https://t.co/eRBK7o3I7Q — Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) November 24, 2020
PHOTO: Melania Trump celebrates the arrival of the official Who Gives a Fuck About Christmas tree. pic.twitter.com/Q7k1CgYcP4 — Middle Age Riot (@middleageriot) November 23, 2020
We all know how you feel about “effing Christmas” @FLOTUS & the drudgery of making the People’s House festive in celebration of the birth of a Savior your complicit actions show you don’t know or serve. Babies in cages ring a bell? As for you and this tree, #IReallyDontCareDoYou? https://t.co/p8irl2MJIH — yvette nicole brown (@YNB) November 24, 2020
Since Melania Trump is pretending to care about Christmas I thought I’d drop this little reminder.
“Who gives a f*ck about Christmas?”
- @MELANIATRUMP #WarOnChristmas
#MelaniaTapes
pic.twitter.com/gABQOpqKk3 — Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) November 23, 2020
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The war on Christmas is coming from inside the house. https://t.co/Zk5qiZyz24 — Yvette, but from a distance. (@TheSciBabe) November 24, 2020
🎶 Oh Christmas tree, oh fucking Christmas tree 🎶 — This is no dream! This is really happening! (@WWonTwit) November 23, 2020
Who recently said "I don't give a fuck about Christmas." LOL, nice try @FLOTUS https://t.co/pZ8QiBi7Y8 — Willie Garson 🇺🇸 (@WillieGarson) November 23, 2020
melania flying solo, pretending to like christmas pic.twitter.com/yI9Tse08sG — Oliver Willis (@owillis) November 23, 2020
Melania's excited: It's Christmas time at the White House again. pic.twitter.com/CDIALxyo83 — The Recount (@therecount) November 23, 2020
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-24--Universities Told To Teach White Privilege And 'Allyship' In Anti-Racist Training

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University staff and students should be given anti-racist training to improve their awareness of “white privilege, fragility and allyship”, universities have been told.
Training should be given in understanding racial “microaggressions” to tackle racial harassment on university campuses, in guidance published by Universities UK (UUK).
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The group, which represents vice-chancellors, has called on senior leaders and governing bodies to acknowledge that racism exists in universities and higher education.
Professor David Richardson, chair of the advisory group, said: “It is my firm belief that UK universities perpetuate institutional racism.
“This is uncomfortable to acknowledge but all university leaders should do so as a first step towards meaningful change.
“Too often Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students and staff have been failed. While they may have heard positive words, they have seen little action. That needs to change now.”
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Training in white privilege, white fragility, white allyship and microaggression should be provided to both staff and students at universities, according to the guidance.
Universities should also introduce reporting systems for incidents of racial harassment, sanctions for breaches in online behaviour and share data on reported incidents with senior staff and governing bodies, it adds.
The report said the coronavirus pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement had “shone a stark light” on racial inequalities within higher education.
It added: “The sector cannot reach its full potential unless it benefits from the talents of the whole population, and individuals from all ethnic backgrounds can benefit equally from the opportunities it provides.
“These developments reinforce the need to act now.”
Professor Nishan Canagarajah, vice-chancellor of the University of Leicester and member of the advisory group, said: “It is not acceptable that students at the same institution can have a completely different experience at university just because of their background.
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“This report is timely and relevant – students from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds are clearly being let down, and it is a wake-up call to higher education to show we cannot ignore this issue any longer.”
The recommendations by UUK follow a report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) last year that found an “alarmingly high rate” of racial harassment on university campuses.
The report found that nearly a quarter of ethnic minority students had experienced racial harassment at university.
Rebecca Hilsenrath, chief executive at the EHRC, said: “It is vital that universities make absolutely clear that any form of racial harassment is wholly unacceptable.”
“We welcome this guidance from Universities UK and are pleased to see that they have taken forward a number of our recommendations.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-24--Princess Diana’s Brother Earl Spencer Explains The One Big Problem He Has With The Crown

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Princess Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, has explained why he isn’t a big fan of The Crown.
The latest series of the huge Netflix hit drama charts the royal family’s lives between 1977 and 1990, including Diana’s marriage to Prince Charles.
The fourth season features scenes dramatising the royal couple’s marriage as well as their extra-marital affairs and Diana’s bulimia.
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Although many of the plot lines are based in fact, some royal commentators have been quick to deride the series for its portrayal of some of these events – despite writer and creator Peter Morgan’s repeated defence of his right to creative freedom.
It’s an issue that also bothers the Earl who believes that some people will believe everything they see in the show.
Charles Spencer and Princess Diana Reuters/PA
Speaking to Alan Titchmarsh on Love Your Weekend, he said: “The worry for me is that people see a programme like that and they forget that it is fiction.
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“They assume. Especially foreigners – I find Americans tell me they watch The Crown as if they’ve taken a history lesson. Well, they haven’t.”
He added: “It is very hard. There is a lot of conjecture and a lot of invention, isn’t there? You can hang it on fact but the bits in between are not fact.”
He also revealed he turned down producers’ request to film at the Spencer family home.
Emma Corrin, who plays Diana, has spoken out about claims that the real-life royal family are unimpressed with the events depicted in the Netflix drama.
“It’s a difficult one,” she told Tamron Hall’s US talk show. “I think for everyone in the The Crown, we always try and remind everyone that the series we are in is fictionalised, to a great extent.
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“Obviously it has its roots in reality and in some fact, but Peter Morgan’s scripts are works of fiction.”
Emma continued: “At the same time, I understand why people would be upset, because this is history… and even with Diana, you know, it’s still very much fresh, I suppose, everything that happened. So I do really understand if people would be upset.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-24--John Cleese Sparks Outrage After Tweeting He's 'Not That Interested In Trans Folks'

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John Cleese angered fans over the weekend with a series of tweets defending Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling’s controversial views on transgender people.
In September, the Monty Python actor and comedian signed an open letter in solidarity with Rowling, who has repeatedly made headlines this year after implying on social media ― and in a lengthy essay ― that the idea of gender identity invalidates her experience as a cisgender woman.
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John Cleese Dave J Hogan via Getty Images
Cleese, who played Nearly Headless Nick in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, was asked about his support for the author on Twitter Sunday.
He responded, “I’m afraid I’m not that interested in trans folks,” before adding glibly, “I just hope they’re happy and that people treat them kindly.”
He went on to list a series of other topics he was “more [focused] on.”
I'm afraid I'm not that interested in trans folks
I just hope they're happy and that people treat them kindly
Right now I'm more focussed on threats to democracy in America, the rampant corruption in the UK, the appalling British Press, the revelations about police brutality... https://t.co/y6l33FBQNL — John Cleese (@JohnCleese) November 22, 2020
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...Covid19, the incompetence of the British government, China's complete disregard for the necessity to abandon fossil fuels, the developments in France between Macron and Islamicists, diabetes, and the recent deaths of several of my close friends
Does than sound hard-hearted ? — John Cleese (@JohnCleese) November 22, 2020
“Deep down, I want to be a Cambodian police woman,” he noted elsewhere in the exchange. “Is that allowed, or am I being unrealistic?”
And later, he added, “When a woman who was once a man is competing against women who have always been women, I think she has an advantage, because she inherited a man’s body, which is usually bigger and stronger than a woman’s.”
Needless to say, Cleese’s comments received a blistering response on Twitter. Among those to chime in was Queer Eye grooming guru Jonathan Van Ness, who is nonbinary and who noted that “trans & non binary people aren’t being treated kindly” and told him to “worry about the staggering inequality your country faces.”
Dear @JohnCleese you’ve made several transphobic comments here. You do seem to not only be interested in trans folks, but also adding to transphobia at a time when trans people are being murdered world wide. Trans & non binary people aren’t being treated kindly. https://t.co/7rzztvadoL — Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) November 22, 2020
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Instead of worrying about American democracy worry about the transphobia gripping the UK. Worry about the staggering inequality your country faces & keep LGBTQ issues out of your chapped ass lip having mouth unless you due to some miracle become an ally. — Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) November 22, 2020
LGBTQ author and activist Charlotte Clymer shared similar sentiments.
“Well, John, we are not being treated kindly,” she wrote. “And I’m not talking about cordiality. I’m talking about discrimination in employment, housing, health care and other areas of living, all of which is exacerbated when public figures speak from ignorance and bigotry on trans rights.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-24--Boris Johnson Should Appoint A 'Levelling Up' Cabinet Minister, Ex-Civil Service Chief Says

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Boris Johnson should appoint a dedicated cabinet minister for “levelling up” to deliver on his promise to boost the economy in the north and Midlands, a former head of the civil service has said.
Lord Bob Kerslake said the prime minister has provided plenty of “warm words” without any sign of an actual plan to fulfil his December election pledge.
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With speculation that Johnson will reshuffle his cabinet in the new year, Kerslake and the Northern Powerhouse Partnership urged him to appoint a minister and set up a dedicated cabinet committee to ensure levelling up remains a top priority.
In February, the PM scrapped the role of northern powerhouse minister from the cabinet.
The final holder of the post, Jake Berry, has since formed the Northern Research Group (NRG) of Tory backbenchers to put pressure on Johnson and the government on the levelling up agenda.
Ahead of chancellor Rishi Sunak’s spending review on Wednesday, Kerslake also called for metro mayors to be given a greater say in leading the UK’s recovery from Covid, with greater powers to boost skills in key industries like advanced manufacturing, digital and green energy.
The UK2070 Commission, which Kerslake chairs, found coronavirus had exacerbated the UK’s dependency on London and the south-east, and called for a £375bn 25-year “new deal” investment to offset the north-south divide in research, development and transport.
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Ahead of an appearance before the Commons business committee on Tuesday, Kerslake said: “While we’ve seen plenty of warm words about levelling up, we still need a plan for devolution of further fiscal powers.
“Central and regional government both have a part to play in delivering this agenda.
“We need a dedicated cabinet member and committee, working alongside metro mayors across the western gateway, Midlands engine and northern powerhouse, to build a comprehensive plan for economic rebalancing.
“The UK is one of the most centralised, imbalanced developed countries in the world and this has a serious detrimental impact our ability to drive economic growth. Recovery post-Covid will only take place once we realise that.”
Northern Powerhouse Partnership director Henri Murison said: “Unlocking the north’s true economic potential through accelerating decarbonisation and the fourth industrial revolution is not only crucial to closing the north-south divide, it is essential to recovery across the whole of the UK.
“The north’s vast economic assets are still hugely underutilised but through sustained investment in sectors such as off-shore wind, hydrogen and small modular reactors, alongside targeted, locally-led skills programmes, we can build back better in some of the areas worst-hit economically by Covid.
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“We need to invest in both infrastructure and people to deliver this vision, upskilling and reskilling the workforce in highly-productive industries and sustainable energies that drive economic growth across the whole of the country.”
Responding, Downing Street distanced the PM from the idea of appointing a levelling up cabinet minister.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-24--How To Practise Gratitude When Everything Sucks

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If you’re struggling to find the upside of one of the most tumultuous years on record, count yourself as one of many. No matter how hard you try to gracefully navigate the tough times, your ability to express gratitude for whatever is going right probably feels like it’s waning by the second.
Being receptive to the concept of practising gratitude is a struggle in itself. Add in the pandemic, economic losses, the US election, the reckoning with racial injustice and numerous other setbacks, and it feels near impossible. But appreciating positive aspects of your life has the ability to boost your mental well-being, said Farah Harris, a psychotherapist and CEO of Working Well Daily.
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“It can increase our sense of happiness, which coincidentally decreases our perception of pain and reduces symptoms of depression,” Harris said. “Gratitude can improve the quality of our sleep. And when we are grateful, we are able to appreciate and celebrate the accomplishments of others so that we operate from a position of complimenting rather than competing or comparing, which can enhance our self-esteem.”
That said, it isn’t easy to trudge through the doom and gloom to find something positive. Here are a few expert-approved, realistic ways to practice gratitude when everything sucks.
Take some time to figure out what works for you.
“Gratitude practices will look different for everyone; it should be personal and fitting for whatever works for you,” said Reyna Smith, a licensed professional counsellor and owner Limitless Counseling & Consulting Services.
“A lot of times I see people correlate gratitude with outwardly expressing thanks to others. It has to start with yourself; being able to give yourself permission to be still and truly reflect on the good ... you get to decide what this practice looks like. It shouldn’t feel forced or stressful.”
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If you’d rather mentally note what you’re grateful for than write items down in a journal, then do that. If you think you’ll reap the benefits more if you schedule some time to type out a gratitude list on your phone, then go for it. A practice works when you can stick to it, whatever that means to you.
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Carve out just a few minutes when you’re not busy.
Setting aside time each day will help with focusing on the positives. Think of it as the one period in your day where nothing can go “wrong.”
Sharn Khaira, business and mindset mentor and founder of Asian Female Entrepreneur Collective, suggests turning off your phone or putting it on airplane mode during this time.
“Create a sacred space where you practise your gratitude and create a morning routine centred around your gratitude practice,” Khaira said. “Or if you really cannot do it in the mornings, create an evening gratitude practice. Let people know you will not be available at that time, go somewhere quiet, enforce boundaries with your family members and ensure you get what you need. Start small and build on it, adapt it, mould it, and then own it, because it is your sacred space.”
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Quantify your gratitude.
Practising gratitude requires placing intentional focus on the positive, which can be difficult because you’re working against your brain’s natural inclination to reflect on the worst outcomes. Negative incidents tend to have a greater impact on the human brain, an occurrence psychologists refer to as negativity bias.
This is where physically quantifying your gratitude may be useful. Documenting your positive experiences by journaling, vlogging or using a jar to visually see all of the positives can interrupt your brain by putting an image right in front of you. You’re also able to revisit the notes on the days when you truly can’t think of something in your life that makes you grateful.
Remind yourself that nothing is too small to be on your gratitude list.
Sure, big items like your health, your job and your family are all positives. But the little moments and items in your life deserve recognition, too. If everything is feeling so large and overwhelmingly crappy, go granular. Honor that decent hair day, that comfort meal you ate or the shower you took this morning.
“If you can identify something that you’re grateful for, don’t overthink it because that’s what is true for you,” Smith said. “Express it fully and be proud of it.”
And don’t forget that you matter in this, too. Gratitude also includes self-appreciation ― so if the circumstances in life are terrible, try expressing thanks for the things about yourself that you like.
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Write a thank-you note.
Smith also endorses penning thank-you notes as a surefire way to establish an effective gratitude practice. Don’t hesitate to send a quick message in response to a kind gesture. Or better yet, send one to a close friend, relative or your favorite small business owner just because. Expressing gratitude for others promotes healthy relationships that can help keep us afloat during difficult times. Then go a step further by putting a spin on Emily Post’s famous etiquette tip by penning a note of gratitude — to yourself.
Perform a “gratitude body scan.”
According to Harris, this act involves a focused assessment and appreciation of your physical body.
“Take the time to love on yourself without judgement,” she said. “Take a few deep cleansing breaths and from your head to your feet, take a moment to acknowledge various parts of your body and state a reason why you are grateful for them. An example could be, ’I am grateful for my arms, they allow me to rock my baby to sleep.’”
Regardless of what gratitude practice you decide to adopt, Khaira stressed consistency and patience are the major keys to being successful.
“With every new habit and mindset shift, it takes practice and patience,” she said. “Try to be consistent with being aware of your thoughts and taking them captive when they try to veer into complaining and being negative. Practice replacing those thoughts with something you are grateful for. With time, you will begin to see a change in your mood, thoughts and behaviors for the positive.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-24--These Countries Are On The UK's Travel Quarantine Exemption List

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There has been a flurry of positive announcements in the battle against coronavirus in recent days, most notably the prospect of a third vaccine being distributed within a matter of weeks.
And there are changes that could make international travel possible.
Passengers who arrive from a destination not on the government’s travel corridors list will still need to enter self-isolation.
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But under new rules, they can reduce the 14-day period by paying for a test from a private firm after five days at a cost of £65-£120.
Countries on the quarantine exemption list are:
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Australia
The Azores
Bahrain (arrivals before 4am November 14 need to self-isolate)
Barbados
Bermuda
Bonaire/St Eustatius/Saba (arrivals before 4am November 21 need to self-isolate)
British Antarctic Territory
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Brunei
Cambodia (arrivals before 4am November 14 need to self-isolate)
The Canary Islands
Cayman Islands
The Channel Islands
Chile (arrivals before 4am November 14 need to self-isolate)
Cuba
Dominica
Estonia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
Gibraltar
Greek islands: Corfu, Crete, Kos, Rhodes, Zakynthos
Greenland
Grenada
Hong Kong
Iceland (arrivals before 4am November 14 need to self-isolate)
Ireland
the Isle of Man
Israel and Jerusalem (arrivals before 4am November 21 need to self-isolate)
Japan
Laos (arrivals before 4am November 14 need to self-isolate)
Latvia
Macao (Macau)
Madeira
Malaysia
Maldives
Mauritius
Montserrat
Namibia (arrivals before 4am November21 need to self-isolate)
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Northern Mariana Islands (arrivals before 4am November 21 need to self-isolate)
Norway
Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands
Qatar (arrivals before 4am November 14 need to self-isolate)
Rwanda (arrivals before 4am November 21 need to self-isolate)
Seychelles
Singapore
South Korea
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Sri Lanka (arrivals before 4am November 21 need to self-isolate)
St Barthélemy
St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
St Kitts and Nevis
St Lucia
St Pierre and Miquelon
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Taiwan
Thailand
Turks and Caicos Islands (arrivals before 4am November 14 need to self-isolate)
United Arab Emirates (arrivals before 4am November 14 need to self-isolate)
Uruguay (arrivals before 4am November 21 need to self-isolate)
US Virgin Islands (arrivals before 4am November 21 need to self-isolate)
Vietnam
The Department for Transport makes decisions each week based on the seven-day rate of coronavirus cases, removing and adding countries from the list.
A rate of 20 per 100,000 people is the threshold above which the Government considers triggering quarantine conditions.
Penalties for those breaching the self-isolation rules have increased from £1,000 for a first offence up to £10,000 for subsequent offences.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-24--9 Of The Best Christmas Jumpers That'll See Off 2020

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Christmas just isn’t Christmas without the jumpers – from the novelty in-jokes to pretty festive knits. Snowflakes of the world, unite: after the year we’ve had, we all deserve a little giggle and sparkle in the form of a shiny new sweater.
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So, we’ve picked the year’s best designs to suit any lockdown festivity, whether you’re having your first ‘Minimas’, (safely) staying at home with the same-old same olds, or can’t wait to pull out all the stops for Save The Children’s National Christmas Jumper Day on December 11. At least on this point, 2020 is tip-top.
Not on the High Street Support the Claus Christmas Jumper
Move over Santa, Mrs. Claus is in town and she’s here to save Christmas. Support the claus in this pretty in pink jumper, that would make a great Christmas present for your favourite feminist. Sleigh the patriarchy, indeed.
Vegan Outfitters Vegans Are On Santa's Nice List
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How do you know if someone’s a vegan? Their jumper will tell you. Tis’ the season to have your life choices mocked at the dinner table. Lean into the interrogations with a sartorial choice that lets you veg out this Christmas.
Involution Gifts Stay Covid Christmas Jumper
Of course, there’s a coronavirus Christmas jumper. A timely top that will make a great addition to your seasonal loungewear as you follow government guidelines. And whatever your festive plans, be sure to coordinate on your virtual Zoom lunch because baby, it’s covid outside!
Lidl Lidl Christmas Jumper
In an unexpected but glorious turn of events, Lidl has gone and dropped their very own kitschy Christmas knit, a traditional design in the bargain retailer’s famous colours: blue, yellow, and red. Costing a mere £7.99, not only is it cheap as chips, you bet you we want it. Available in stores from November 26.
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Nutella Nutella Christmas Jumper
Calling all chocoholics! Nutella has launched a Christmas jumper, too! We all know someone who’s obsessed with the iconic Italian spread. While you might not be able to buy this cute chocolate gem, there are 200 knits up for grabs and you can put your name forward in the draw to win one. Simply answer a Christmas-related question to be within a chance of winning.
H&M Mickey Ski Jumper
There’s something hideously vintage kitsch about this jumper, but it’s timeless enough to last the ages. It doesn’t scream Christmas, this one, it’s more of a nod. A good one to wear outside of the yuletide period and show off your love for the world’s most famous mouse. Oh Mickey, you’re so fine!
Involution Gifts Furlough Lo Lo Lo Fa Laa Laa Laa Christmas Jumper
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Laugh off what a joke of a year 2020 has been and wear your furlough badge of honour with pride with this novelty jumper. Because nothing says festive season quite like decking the halls with a temporary leave of absence from work. Too soon?
H&M Sequin Sausage Dog Christmas Jumper
For all the dog lovers out there, never mind the sequin queens, this one’s for you. Take a pet pooch wherever you go with this soft knit featuring an oh-so-cute sparkly sausage dog wearing antlers – it’ll send you barking mad.
Marks and Spencer M&S Christmas Jumper
Trust M&S to milk their famous slogan for all its worth. A simple design with a gingerbread man and a sprig of holly in an oh-so-flattering Christmas pudding brown colour. This Christmas go above and beyond with Marks and Sparks.
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10) The NHS Christmas Jumper, £34.99
Not Just Clothing NHS Christmas Jumper


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-24--Why Not Having Sex Can Actually Be Good For Your Relationship

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You’re reading Relationships DIY, a weeklong mini-series full of tips, tricks and perspective on keeping your relationship healthy and happy during the pandemic.
When #StayAtHome first became a government directive, never mind a hashtag, we joked about all the daytime shags and lockdown babies it might generate. Now, months later, sex is the last thing on many people’s minds.
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The nation is experiencing a “low level of sexual activity” during the pandemic, according to a study by Anglia Ruskin University – and it’s not just because social distancing is preventing casual hookups. Those who live with longterm partners are also going through a dry spell.
Feelings of anxiety and stress are thought to be behind our dip in desire, plus let’s face it, being shut indoors with your partner all day in your loungewear – aka tracky bums and a holey old jumper – does not a sexy scenario make.
If you’ve suddenly found yourself in a so-called “sexless” relationship, you might be turning to Google for advice. But the articles you’ll find are usually centred on “fixing” the situation – instead of pressing pause on sex altogether, perhaps.
In search of some perspective, we’re redefining sexless relationships in our latest podcast episode of Am I Making You Uncomfortable?, where we will be asking if it’s really such a problem to prioritise a cuddle and The Crown?
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“The term ‘sexlessness’ itself is problematic,” says sociologist and intimacy expert Professor Jacqui Gabb, who’s chief relationships officer at the app, Paired, and also guests on this week’s podcast.
“It implies there’s a lack, there’s an absence, there is something wrong, and actually, we know that relationships can function quite satisfactorily without sex if both partners have agreed to it – or found a way to compensate for the absence of sex if one doesn’t agree with that.”
Lucinda, 36, from Blackpool, has been with her partner for seven years and also rejects the phrase “sexless”. Instead, she describes her relationship as “sex-free by choice”.
“We wanted the benefits of companionship, but minus the complications of sex,” she says. “We’re intimate in plenty of other ways. We cuddle and kiss, but more importantly, we have emotional intimacy.
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“We share the good and bad bits of our lives. We care for each other. There’s certainly nothing missing from our lives or from our relationship. In fact, our relationship is far, far stronger for being sex-free.”
If you’ve experienced a dip in libido recently – whether that’s due to the pandemic, becoming a parent, dealing with a health problem or simply life getting in the way – taking sex off the table could be a good thing, says Dee Holmes, a therapist at Relate.
It can boost your relationship in other ways, she argues, and it doesn’t mean you have to stay celibate forever.
“It can help a couple relax and feel they can be more loving and affectionate more often because it is not giving a signal sex is on the agenda,” Holmes tells HuffPost UK. “Many people avoid too much intimacy and time with a partner because they are really avoiding sex.”
MoMo Productions via Getty Images
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Without sex, partners often spend more time together sitting and talking, Holmes adds, leading to improved closeness and a sense of connection.
“Couples sometimes avoid going to bed together but if there is an understanding sex will not be occurring they may go together more,” she says. “This will lead to closeness and often when snuggled together in the dark, deeper conversations can happen.”
If sex has fizzled out of your relationship, sex educator Ruby Rare, another of our podcast guests on the episode, recommends talking to your partner about pro-actively having a sex-free month, where you can prioritise non-sexual intimacy, then check-in with each other to see how you’re feeling.
Non-sexual intimacy can take any form that works for you, but Rare recommends a shared bath or massage where neither partner is “diving for someone’s genitals or trying to make it really sexy”.
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Although this isn’t about sex, you’re likely to build on your “sexual currency” – a term coined by clinical psychologist and sexologist Dr Karen Gurney.
“When you eventually then get to a space that is sexual and you’re actually going to have sex, you’re not starting from scratch,” Rare explains.
“You’ve already built this foundation in your everyday life of the nice compliments and really looking at each other and saying nice things and intimate touch, and maybe a kiss that lasts for a couple of seconds longer.”
When you check back in, you may be ready to rip each other’s clothes off, or you may not. In the podcast, we discuss ways to navigate sex if one person’s libido doesn’t match the other’s. (As Professor Gabb points out, you wouldn’t want the same amount of food as your partner, so why should we assume we’ll want the same amount of sex? Also, masturbation isn’t just for singles...).
The point is, this shouldn’t be a panic-inducing topic. What all our experts agree on is that frequency of sex is never a reflection of the quality of a relationship.
“Just because a couple are having sex does not always mean it’s ‘good sex’ or both are enjoying it, so being able to say ‘oh we have sex daily/ weekly’ does not mean your relationship is emotionally close,” says Holmes.
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Prof Gabb adds that sex is afforded “an excess of significance” in society.
“Sex is an ordinary, everyday part of relationship,” she says. “It is not everything, but also, it’s not nothing, and if we see it as just one of the many dimensions of a relationship, then actually, relationships may be more content.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-24--Cats Are Already Wreaking Havoc On The Nation's Christmas Trees

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If there’s one thing that any cat owner knows, it’s that come Christmas, not much stands between their curious moggy and the glistening new tree-turned-playground that’s been constructed in the living room corner.
There are mirrored baubles, blinking lights, plenty of branches to climb and foliage to hide behind – it’s basically feline paradise.
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And this year, despite it being a nightmarish pandemic-filled 2020, the nation’s cats are back to business. Baubles are being swiped off branches, lights are being chomped right through and the trees themselves are under heavy investigation. In some cases, they’re being destroyed completely.
Here’s the evidence that moggy mayhem has already begun.
Owners initially find them sweet and angelic, sat amid the branches and twinkling lights...
My cat climbed into my Christmas tree so I grabbed my camera pic.twitter.com/vkcZTFZCAy — Jonathan (@BeguJonathan) November 15, 2020
my roommate’s cat living her best life in the christmas tree she is perfect pic.twitter.com/jl8vDMoAPQ — taylor (@alysetayy) November 16, 2020
I decided to put my Christmas tree up early.
Apparently, my cat approves. pic.twitter.com/5nK9CgNa1f — CarmenSinek_Final_SuperFinal3.psd (@CarmenSinek) November 22, 2020
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Here’s a picture of my cat Lilly with her first Christmas tree! Stay strong and take care of yourself ❤ pic.twitter.com/ZHDIjPLQxH — Kelsey Maher (@KelseyMaher2) November 23, 2020
Just my cat in our Christmas tree, reminding us what a gift she is. pic.twitter.com/fWpUvuO793 — PrincessAdi (@PrincessAdi12) November 17, 2020
But when the Christmas tree meows, you know all hell is about to break loose.
i couldn’t find my cat and then i heard my christmas tree meow pic.twitter.com/5Dya72CBVQ — 𝔧𝔞𝔡𝔢 (@mjhampton_) November 14, 2020
Granddaughter’s cat loving the Christmas Tree pic.twitter.com/1GZEIonbrs — Liver bird upon my chest (@JohnERoberts6) November 22, 2020
No twinkling light or bauble is safe.
here is my cat having fun with a christmas tree pic.twitter.com/MECtYCpXjR — Rebecca (@r3b3cc4_m4r13) November 23, 2020
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I speak cat...the chirrup at the end means:
"theres a bauble on the floor you might want to pick up" 🤦🏻♀🐱🎄 pic.twitter.com/4zbZ7Eo3ow — Timandra Dyer (@tjd19) November 21, 2020
This cat really enjoys the Christmas tree. pic.twitter.com/qn2IdyMWVN — Tevin Norman (@TevinNorman) November 22, 2020
Your tree could end up on the floor.
You may be a puppy person, but here is me wrangling the cat off the Christmas tree on Saturday night. pic.twitter.com/W1yRiBxp5H — Grace Holliday (@graceholliday) November 23, 2020
Throwback to the first time Otis met a Christmas tree, this is the same cat that's just set it's bum on fire standing over a candle and now all I can smell is burnt hair with a hint of vanilla. Sometimes my cat is a massive twat but I love him. pic.twitter.com/hCvMcSUt3d — The Salty Cow (@thesaltiestcow) November 22, 2020
And after all the hard work is done, a nap on the tree skirt is always welcome.
my gf and I just finished putting up the Christmas tree and this is what our cat decides to do😭 wow gotta love her ❤😂 pic.twitter.com/XB67D2hy2M — jess cardenas (@jessthegoofball) November 16, 2020
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Photo dump of my cat sleeping under the Christmas tree because that’s what he likes pic.twitter.com/6BNrDBKUMQ — Abbey McCardel !! (@earth2abbey) November 21, 2020
The fact that my cat sleeps under the Christmas tree makes me want to keep my Christmas tree up year round because it’s SO CUTE pic.twitter.com/GCMQlr5Dgu — Allison (@Allison022) November 21, 2020
heres a picture of my cat under the christmas tree ((: pic.twitter.com/Cs7dwCrnOU — Antwon (@vtwn_) November 18, 2020
You can’t stay mad forever.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-24--My Darling Clementine: 11 Delicious Baby Names Inspired By Food

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In the run up to Christmas, it’s easy to focus on the one thing that we can enjoy, with or without a lockdown: food.
Mince pies, turkey, brandy butter and crisp roast potatoes with optional goose fat – if you’re pregnant, you’re entitled to sit back and let everyone wait on you.
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Enjoy it. But there’s more to be taken from this gluttony than you might think – you can also find some interesting baby names taken straight from the feast.
We have a wealth of baby name inspiration on HuffPost UK Parents. Here are 10 of our edible favourites.
NataliaDeriabina via Getty Images
Saffron
The name Saffron means yellow flower, and is also the name for the unique spice that comes from crocus stamens. It is both expensive and precious.
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Nori
Comes from the Japanese, meaning “doctrine or seaweed”. In fact, many will associate it with the dried seaweed used to wrap sushi. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West call their daughter, North, ‘Nori’ as a cute nickname.
Clementine
Clementine, meaning “gentle” or “merciful”, of course bears the same name as the sweet orange fruit. “My Darling Clementine” is a famous American folk song.
Kobe
The name Kobe means “supplanter” and is of Hebrew origin, but can also be traced to Swahili meaning “tortoise”. It is also a delicate cut of beef in Japan.
Peaches
English, French, and German gave birth to the name ‘Peaches’ – which means “fruit; sin; son of pies”. Peaches Geldof was a TV personality and model, and daughter of Paula Yates and Bob Geldof.
Apple
Sticking with fruit and celebrity, Apple was the name Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin gave to their eldest child – who is already a teenager, can you believe it?
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Mohd Hafiez Mohd Razali / EyeEm via Getty Images Photo Taken In Malaysia, Petaling Jaya
Olive
The name Olive comes from the English, meaning “olive tree”. In recent years another form of the name – Olivia – has overtaken its popularity, but we like the original – and so did Popeye. whose girlfriend Olive Oyl actually predates him in the comic strip.
Sage
Meaning “herb” or “prophet”, Sage is also the name of a fragrant, edible plant.
Quince
The name Quince comes from the Latin, meaning “apple-like fruit”. Great with cheese – and also features in Edward Lear’s poem ‘The Owl and The Pussycat’.
Basil
Basil Fawlty made this name famous but it’s also the sweet and aromatic herb used in Italian cooking and means “brave. fearless and intrepid”.
Benedict
Benedict is a masculine name of Latin origin, meaning “blessed”. It’s also our favourite breakfast, of course: eggs benedict. Rejoice!


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-24--Why An Interracial Marriage In The White House Matters To Black Women Like Me

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For a long while, I felt the struggle for equality and social progress was being squashed under the weight of Trumpism. So I let out a sigh of relief once Joe Biden had reached 270 electoral votes and officially won November’s election.
But for Black American women like me, the real victory is Kamala Harris. What she has accomplished is no mean feat: the daughter of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, Harris is the first woman of colour to be elected vice president of the United States of America.
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Not only that, but with her husband Doug Emhoff set to become the first ‘Second Gentleman’ in US history, Harris is also the first candidate in an interracial relationship to ever be elected to the White House.
This is an important milestone. Here’s why.
Over the last four years, my country has shown me racism isn’t being stamped out – instead it is only becoming more insidious. The rise of white supremacy and open racism under Trump has caused people in mixed-race relationships to re-evaluate the difficult racial dynamics of their relationships. And I say that from personal experience as an African American woman married to a white British man.
“When America elected Obama, many heralded it the dawn of a new post-racist world – as if a Black man becoming president of a country with a brutal past of slavery proved humanity had moved beyond racism.”
As the Black Lives Matter movement gained significant momentum this year and deeper conversations on race were sparked across the country and in my own relationship, I found myself becoming more of an advocate for racial equality. But while Biden and Kamala’s election win gives cause for optimism, I am cautious to embrace that times are changing for the better.
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You see, when America first elected Barack Obama in 2008, many heralded it the dawn of a new post-racist world – as if a Black man becoming president of a country with a brutal past of slavery proved humanity had moved beyond racism. I admit I was one of those hopeful people who thought a new era of racial equality had begun.
Fast forward 12 years and the celebrations that followed Biden’s election victory over President Trump seemed more akin to the end of an authoritarian regime. For what the last four years of Trump’s presidency has shown me is that the idea that our nation is ‘post-racism’ is nothing but a myth.
Strange as it might seem, race wasn’t really something my husband and I discussed early on in our relationship. But the more race became a matter of vehement discussion in public arenas, the more it manifested in our personal lives – from strangers in the street contesting our interracial relationship to racially inappropriate comments made by our friends where my husband would not even perceive these as problematic.
Yes, love brought us together. But the gaping disparities in our lived experiences in our lived experiences were, at one point, driving us apart. Where I needed empathy and support, he inferred that I might have played a part in provoking my aggressors or perhaps that I was on the receiving end of someone who was simply having ‘a bad day’. I never expected my husband to doubt that I was a reliable witness to my own Black experience.
When a man spat in my face after he saw me kiss my husband in the street, only then was he really able to see the multi-faceted experience of the discrimination I faced – not just from some white people but those in the Black community who perceived me as some kind of race traitor. Confronting his ignorance has been a long and difficult process but was all the more necessary as we navigated the world as an interracial couple together; not least in a world that was appearing to regress under populism.
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“When a man spat in my face after he saw me kiss my husband in the street, only then was he really able to see the multi-faceted experience of the discrimination I faced.”
Kamala and Doug’s new precedent should pave the way to a world more welcoming of diversity – not just in professional spheres, but in our personal lives too. To an interracial couple such as my husband and me, Harris and Emhoff personify unity. They symbolise that, in today’s world, two people can come to love each other not just despite but also because of their cultural and racial differences.
With the globalisation of the Black Lives Matter movement and now Harris’ election, maybe interracial and diverse relationships and families are going to see better representation than ever before. Christmas adverts this year, and in recent years, are a testimony to this: Argos made an all-Black family with queer parents the centre of their festive narrative; Debenhams did a modern take on the classic Cinderella fairytale with a Black ‘prince’ and white ‘princess’; John Lewis told the story of Moz the Monster and his special relationship with a mixed-race boy.
I’m hopeful that the tides will continue to change. And I’m hopeful that Kamala Harris will, among many things, use her incredible profile and platform to effect a collective shift in mindset – not just in those who inwardly oppose biracial unions but for those in interracial relationships to engage in honest and, yes, uncomfortable discussions about what it means to walk hand in hand through life together in a post-Trump world.
Tineka Smith is a writer of Mixed Up with Alex Court, available exclusively on Audible now. Follow her on Instagram at @thisistineka.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-26--Coronavirus: Students Could Win Financial Compensation For Lost Teaching Time During Lockdown

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Students could be awarded financial compensation for lost teaching time during the first Covid-19 lockdown after the higher education complaints watchdog told an institution to pay up.
The Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA), which looks at complaints across higher education, has recommended a provider should pay back hundreds of pounds to a student due to lockdown disruption.
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The watchdog has so far received just under 200 complaints from students about the disruption to their university experience caused by Covid-19.
The OIA has said there is a time lag in complaints being logged with it as students have to first raise their complaint with their university.
Ellen Packham is in her second year studying Psychology at the University of Northampton.
Ellen Packham, a second year Psychology student at the University of Northampton, says her learning and her mental health have been affected by the lockdowns Supplied
The 20-year-old told HuffPost UK she will be seeking compensation because of how the pandemic has affected both her learning and her mental health.
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She said: “At the end of my first year, when Covid-19 first hit, we got barely any online teaching. When the university closed, we went from face-to-face teaching everyday to nothing – and we had assignments and exams to do.
“I remember sitting at home and my mum asking me ’Don’t you have lectures to do?′ and I’d say no because my university wasn’t putting any on.
“I used to FaceTime every night with my best friend and the majority of our calls until first year was over were along the lines of: ’I don’t understand the work’, ‘I don’t understand what I have to do’ and ‘Why aren’t we having any lectures?’
“I blagged my way through my exams and assignments because we had no help at all – it was a massive shock to the system.”
In June, thousands of students who missed out on their education due to the lockdown were urged to sign up to “mass action” to win compensation.
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The National Union of Students (NUS) demanded debt relief and compensation for those whose studies have been disrupted when university campuses were forced to close. Packham says she added her signature to the petition but has not yet heard back on the matter.
Case summaries published on the OIA website show complaints from students about Covid-19 disruption in the 2019-20 academic year were either justified or partly justified.
In one case, the university was told to pay just over £1,000 in compensation to an international student as the provider had not taken “sufficient steps” to mitigate disruption to their learning experience.
Four weeks of teaching for a module, and a final project which had been worth 60% of the module, were cancelled which meant the student “lost the opportunity to develop their written work and research”.
In another case, the OIA ruled a student’s complaint was justified as the university had “not engaged” with the individual’s concerns about the loss of face-to-face teaching due to the lockdown and industrial action.
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But a number of complaints could not be considered by the watchdog as students had not raised the complaint with their university first, or they had not yet completed the institution’s internal processes.
In other examples, students’ complaints demanding tuition fee refunds – due to a move to online lessons during the lockdown – were rejected by the watchdog as they ruled the institutions had taken the necessary steps to ensure students could still achieve their expected learning outcomes.
The NUS is calling for a more simplified complaints process, claiming university students have been “passed from pillar to post” and some universities have disregarded their concerns.
Students have up to a year to bring their complaint to the OIA after filing a complaint with their university. The watchdog said it is only now starting to receive complaints relating to the current academic year.
Earlier this month, the OIA announced plans to allow university students who have been affected by the same events to have their complaints addressed collectively. Under the proposals, the OIA would have discretion to accept complaints that have not yet completed the university’s internal procedures.
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The watchdog said it wants to be prepared in case the coronavirus pandemic leads to a large group complaint from university students.
Packham feels the move to online teaching led to misconceptions that students were using the change as an opportunity to lie in bed all day, with few critics realising how deeply it disrupted their learning.
She said: “Coming into second year was difficult too because everything was online. We did have one face-to-face session a week however, because of the nature of my job (I’m a key worker) I made the decision not to attend these and to only go to the online sessions in place to protect the service users that I work with.
“We have some group projects in our course and our only experience of this is first year where we are together in a room and able to properly work together however doing this in completely separate households and all over WhatsApp was so difficult.
“If one of us was struggling with part of the work, we wouldn’t be able to just show them what to do, we had to talk them through it step by step which ate into time of deadlines.
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“And don’t even get me started on actual lectures! Whereas pre-Covid we could just stick our hand up and ask questions as and when needed, we have to type them out in the chat box, and by the time you’ve finished typing out your question the tutor has moved onto the next topic and the question isn’t relevant anymore.”
Packham says the changes have negatively affected her mental health too.
She said: “When my issues flare up, I have a massive loss of motivation and I use my bed and my room as my safe space. Suddenly, with not having a separate place to do university work, my safe space was interrupted. My mindset changed from ‘I need to get up and go INTO uni’ to ‘What’s the point in me leaving my bed if everything is online’. It really sent me into a massive downward spiral with my mental health. I struggled to get out of bed, to find the energy to do my lectures. It was so hard to overcome.
“My anxiety has skyrocketed because I am constantly in my house and so leaving my house has become super hard.”
Independent adjudicator Felicity Mitchell said: “We recognise that many people in providers have been working incredibly hard to minimise disruption and to support students, and that students and those who support them have faced very real difficulties.
“We are acutely aware that there are limits to what is reasonable or even possible in this context. But students must still be treated fairly.
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“It is to providers’ credit that we have not so far seen any cases where the student has been directly academically disadvantaged because of the disruption, but it is also important that providers deliver what was promised or something broadly equivalent to it.
“Providers have done better in some cases than in others at finding ways to make up for the learning students missed out on.”
A spokeswoman for the NUS said: “It is clear that a more simplified complaints process is necessary.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-26--English Regions To Discover Post-Lockdown Tiers – With First Review On December 16

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Each local authority in England will on Thursday find out which lockdown “tier” they will fall under after the end of the national lockdown – with a review planned two weeks after it kicks in.
Health secretary Matt Hancock will make the announcement in parliament after the government set out its Covid-19 “winter plan” earlier this week.
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Each area will be placed into one of three tiers when lockdown ends on December 2 – but the system has been toughened from the previous regime, meaning more authorities will move into the higher tiers.
Areas which make progress in slowing the spread of the virus could still be moved down a tier before Christmas, however, with the first review of the allocations due to take place by December 16.
On Wednesday night reports suggested there would be few areas in England placed in Tier 1, while London was expected to go in Tier 2 along with the majority of the country.
Hancock said: “Thanks to the hard work and sacrifice made by people up and down the country, we are able to move out of national lockdown and into more targeted local, tiered restrictions.
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“I know for those of you faced with Tier 3 restrictions this will be a particularly difficult time but I want to reassure you that we’ll be supporting your areas with mass community testing and extra funding.
“By following the rules together we can get out of these tough measures.”
The Department of Health said decisions on tier levels would be based on a number of factors, including case detection rates in all age groups and, in particular, amongst the over 60s.
How quickly case rates are rising or falling will also be taken into account, as will local pressure on the NHS, including current and projected capacity.
The final decisions will be made by prime minister Boris Johnson at the Covid Operations Committee, the government said.
Areas placed in Tier 3 will be offered support from NHS Test and Trace and the Armed Forces to deliver a six-week rapid community testing programme, making use of rapid lateral flow tests which give results within an hour.
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Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram said he hoped the area – which was the first to enter the highest tier last time – would not return to Tier 3 restrictions.
He said: “The progress we’ve made since we were put in Tier 3 is remarkable – we’ve gone from having two areas with infection rates of about 750 per 100k to 180 across the city region.”
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said it was “more likely than not” his area would be made subject to Tier 3 restrictions.
He said although infection numbers in Greater Manchester were still high, the rates were falling.
He added: “If things continue in this direction at the rate at which we are seeing change in Greater Manchester, I would want to ask the government for a serious review of Greater Manchester’s position at the first review of tiering arrangements which is scheduled to take place two weeks from now.”
Meanwhile, Lancashire’s council leaders have submitted a proposal to the government to divide the county into two different tiers when the lockdown ends next week.
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A request has been made for Hyndburn, Rossendale, Burnley, Pendle and Preston to go into Tier 3 restrictions while Fylde, Wyre, Lancaster, Chorley, South Ribble, Ribble Valley and West Lancashire would go into Tier 2.
And London mayor Sadiq Khan said it would be the “right and sensible decision” for the capital to be placed in Tier 2, as he warned that Tier 3 would be a “hammer blow” to businesses.
The reimposition of the tier system in England comes as scientists warned easing coronavirus restrictions over Christmas could lead to a third wave of the pandemic and another lockdown.
The prime minister urged the public to “think carefully” over the festive period after it was confirmed that three households will be able to form a Christmas “bubble” from December 23 to 27.
Professor Graham Medley, an expert in infectious disease modelling at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said the relaxation of restrictions over the festive period could lead to more people being admitted to hospital and further lockdown measures in the new year.
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Meanwhile, government figures showed a further 696 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Wednesday, with the UK total now standing at 56,533.
A further 18,213 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus were reported on Wednesday.
In Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has said rules allowing people to meet up at Christmas are likely to be tightened when they are set out on Thursday.
She said: “The expectation should be that the guidance will probably look to tighten around the edges rather than further expand and that will be true with the travel window of opportunity as well – we want to limit that window, not expand it.”
The Welsh Cabinet is also expected to meet to decide whether further restrictions similar to the English tier system will be needed before Christmas, although a decision is not likely to be announced until Friday.
In Northern Ireland, tougher lockdown restrictions will be introduced for from Friday, with pubs, restaurants, non-essential retail and close contact services to close for a fortnight.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-25--Rishi Sunak Hits The Pause Button As The Dominic Cummings Legacy Lives On

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Having spent most of his short career as chancellor being seen as the nice man who dishes out dosh, it was perhaps no surprise that Rishi Sunak sounded less sure-footed with the tough stuff.
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Even as he lobbed some red meat towards Tory backbenchers on public sector pay today, he couldn’t bring himself to use the F-word: freeze. Instead, Sunak said pay rises for non-NHS staff will be “paused” next year.
“Pausing” a pay rise is a euphemism that will stick in the throat of the 1.3 million teaching assistants, school dinner ladies, hospital porters, police officers, soldiers. The pay freeze (George Osborne had no qualms using the F-word in 2010) will also likely apply to council staff like bin men and care workers. In short, that’s a fair chunk of the “key workers” that have kept the country running through the pandemic.
The chancellor did of course try to limit the impact, setting out a £250 rise for 2.1m public sector staff who earn less than the median wage of £24,000. Yet even that seemed undermined by a sleight of hand. When Yvette Cooper pointed out that with inflation forecast to be 2% next year, the £250 would still be a real terms cut, Sunak sidestepped the issue.
In fact, “pausing” appeared to be the overall theme for this spending review. He paused an expected change in the inflation measure that will mean rail commuters and student loans will cost more for more years. The chancellor also paused any progress on climate change (there was virtually nothing on the global emergency that will one day overshadow the covid emergency).
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And in yet another red meat moment for Tory MPs, Sunak paused the UK’s commitment to spend 0.7% of its GDP on overseas aid. The cut to 0.5% is for one year, but it’s unclear when the pause in the legal requirement will be restarted, given the only guide was “when the fiscal situation allows”.
It’s worth saying that the whole point of the GDP measure on aid was precisely to allow it to go up and down according to the health of the economy. When times are hard, aid spending already goes down automatically. But Sunak opted to go further, with £4bn more in cuts to the world’s poorest. Why? So some Tory backbenchers could dress it up with a depressing “charity begins at home” meme, like a tawdry early Christmas present they believe voters want to take their minds off covid.
Unsurprisingly, instant opinion polls showed that “reducing foreign aid spending” (yeah that word “foreign” is loaded with meaning) was popular. YouGov put support at 66%, opposition at 16%, SavantaComRes had 61% to 13%. Yet no one in government has made the case that tying aid to growth has already reduced overseas spending.
The resignation of junior minister Liz Sugg was an indication that some Tories won’t support a cynical attempt to use overseas aid cuts as a political weapon. Sugg, who worked for David Cameron and knows all too well how slippery Boris Johnson can be, won’t have been surprised he broke his promise to the voters in the Tory manifesto to “maintain” the aid pledge.
Although the aid cut will need new legislation, it’s hard to see how the One Nation caucus of Tory moderates has enough numbers to stop it. Few will forget how the caucus rolled over on the issue of breaking international law in the Internal Market Bill. But as with that bill, the danger (as Tim Montgomerie pointed out) is that “under this PM, Britain is becoming a nation that doesn’t keep its word”.
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What really exposed the cynicism of both Johnson and Sunak (he’s meant to be the “nice guy” remember) was the quid-pro-quo of the £4bn aid cut being matched by a £4bn “levelling up fund” aimed at Blue Wall seats. Mansfield MP Ben Bradley tweeted exactly this equation, referring to “areas of the UK that are most in need”.
The fact is that the £10 billion saved by Sunak from partially freezing public sector pay and cutting aid spending was dwarfed by the £394 billion being borrowed to fund all the extra spending. But politically the cuts were about “the feels”. The point was unwittingly underlined by a Treasury “factsheet” on levelling up, that said it was aimed at “helping people feel better off”.
That emphasis on feelings and identity is indeed a reminder that while Dominic Cummings may be gone, his playbook and philosophy remains key to the Johnson government. The “foreign” culture war, the focus on the Blue/Red Wall, the suggestion that the NHS is the only bit of the public services that anyone really likes, Cummingsism lives on.
Yet on Cummings’ other big legacy – Brexit – Sunak was totally, utterly silent. The OBR was however more forthcoming, pointing out that a no-deal outcome would delay a post-Covid economic recovery by a whole year. Even a negotiated free trade agreement will strip 4% from output, the watchdog estimates. But the chancellor, himself a Brexiteer, had no comment.
Speaking of covid, the OBR’s figures today showed the merit of at least one big pause of Sunak’s: his close-run-thing decision to delay ending furlough in October. The extension to spring 2021 will save 300,000 jobs, it found. But ending furlough in March will lead to a 800,000 rise in unemployment, and the new Restart scheme won’t fully kick in next year.
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Sunak also paused any decision on continuing the Universal Credit uplift. Though many expect that to come in the New Year at some point (Marcus Rashford is hinting another campaign is on the way), he was not ready to commit to it today, perhaps because that wouldn’t follow the Cummings script.
The biggest pause of all, however, was on the one thing that Tory chancellors are supposed to do: balance the books. The OBR warned he will need to find £27bn of tax increases or spending cuts in coming years, and the IFS said that kind of cash can’t be found without ripping up Tory pledges on income tax, VAT or national insurance.
In the end, the only taxes Sunak was prepared to increase were not the government’s, but those of town halls. Yes, council tax was again the Treasury stealth tax of choice, with upto £1.9bn pencilled in for precept rises to fund social care. Rather than directly fund care of the elderly, he put the responsibility onto councils already weary of austerity.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-25--Trump Pardons Former Adviser Michael Flynn, Who Pleaded Guilty In Russia Probe

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US president Donald Trump pardoned Michael Flynn on Wednesday, more than two years after the former national security adviser pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during an explosive investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Flynn was accused of “willfully and knowingly” making “materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statements” in a January 24, 2017, interview with FBI agents on topics including his past communications with the Russian ambassador to the US. He resigned from his post in February 2017, after allegedly also misleading top administration officials about his conversations with Moscow.
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Trump, limited in his pardoning power by his time left in office, said on Twitter that he pardoned Flynn with the hopes that he and his family “have a truly fantastic Thanksgiving!”
It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon. Congratulations to @GenFlynn and his wonderful family, I know you will now have a truly fantastic Thanksgiving! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2020
The former aide pleaded guilty on December 1, 2017. He agreed to cooperate in special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin, hoping to avoid jail time. But Flynn filed to withdraw that plea earlier this year — after federal prosecutors accused him and his legal counsel of growing increasingly uncooperative and recommended that he serve up to six months in prison.
In January, Flynn’s attorneys alleged that he was the victim of a “bad faith” investigation.
“Mr Flynn refused to lie for the prosecution. In pure spite, the government retaliated,” they claimed. “Justice is not a game, and there should be no room for such gamesmanship in the Department of Justice.”
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Attorney General William Barr ordered an outside prosecutor review of Flynn’s case in February, renewing questions about the Justice Department’s treatment of Trump’s allies.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-25--Trump Phones In To Hearing In Bizarre Act Of Desperation

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Donald Trump has made more baseless allegations about election voter – but in the most bizarre manner yet.
The outgoing president falsely claimed – yet again – that he “won by a lot” as he spoke to Republicans holding a partisan “hearing” in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania into election “issues” and alleged “irregularities”.
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There is no evidence to corroborate any of his claims of election fraud.
But instead of taking to Twitter to air his grievance, which is now his default setting, or actually doing it in person, Trump phoned in. And his lawyer held up her phone to the microphone.
Legal adviser Jenna Ellis is now holding up her phone to the mic so President Trump can address the hotel room of Republican Pennsylvania lawmakers on speakerphone. pic.twitter.com/YX7Pt5gjcq — Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) November 25, 2020
Trump ranting by speaker phone at the Penn. hearing. Calls the election a “fraud.” Says, “We won easily. We won it by a lot.” Dems cheated: “They’re horrible people.”
“Just like they got caught spying on my campaign....we have to turn the election over.”
Trump keeps digging. — David Corn (@DavidCornDC) November 25, 2020
A portrait of Trump now: sitting in the Oval Office, frothing conspiracy theories and repeatedly asking, “Why wouldn’t they overturn the election?” into a phone held up to a microphone for a show event he didn’t go to because of coronavirus concerns he isn’t addressing. pic.twitter.com/VzGHK93JXc — Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) November 25, 2020
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To give you some idea of how unpresidential it all seemed, the actual president-elect was giving a speech that boasted more of the ceremony you would usually associate with the office.
Joe Biden was giving a Thanksgiving message focussed on the coronavirus as the disease continues to ravage the US.
“We need to remember we are at war with the virus, not one another,” he said, a stark contrast to the sour grapes on display from Trump.
This Thanksgiving eve, Trump and Biden had very different messages for America. pic.twitter.com/XjPLISBv7t — The Recount (@therecount) November 25, 2020
The hearing, attended by Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, came a day after the state certified its election results – formalising Biden’s win over Trump in the region.
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Despite Trump’s protests and faltering legal campaign, the handover to the Biden presidency has begun.