thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-19--This Pro-Trump TV Channel Makes Fox News Look Like CBeebies

The first thing I learn from One America News Network is that there is a new Rolling Stones flagship store opening on Carnaby Street, where “you can always get what you want.” The next is that Donald Trump has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize and held a massively successful rally in North Carolina where he condemned mail-in voting. OAN will then tell me that The Atlantic magazine is full of lies and owned by “America’s new George Soros.”
What I don’t know at this point on Wednesday morning, only 20 minutes into a 16-hour straight viewing of far-right conspiracy network OAN, is that I will watch its highlight reel of Trump’s rally seven times and the attack on The Atlantic eight times. I will watch a segment on Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize nomination, a meaningless stunt by a far-right Norwegian parliamentarian, at least 10 times. I will watch multiple different hosts recite the same introductions and same scripts, sometimes saying the words along with them in my empty apartment. Because OAN blends its outlandish coverage with everyday banality I will come to know that The Rolling Stones memorabilia store is, at its heart, “about the music.”
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This has been a breakout year for OAN. For most people, the network is infamous for its conspiracy theories, its employment of far-right activists and White House correspondent Chanel Rion’s absurdly sycophantic questions to the president. (“We’re watching Joe Biden slip very gently into senility, while you’re at the top of your game. What’s your secret?”)
“Fact-checking OAN, especially 16-straight hours of it, is basically a Sisyphean task”
OAN is ostensibly a news network, with 24-hour coverage and a multimillion-dollar budget. It’s available in at least 35 million households through multiple service providers and has its own streaming app for smart televisions. Trump has repeatedly tweeted praise for the channel and encouraged his followers to watch it. He gave the outlet an exclusive interview during the Republican National Convention, and Trump family members and top associates have repeatedly appeared on its programmes. As the election quickly approaches, it is effectively a media arm of the Trump campaign.
Pro-Trump media is often viewed only through brief moments that highlight its most egregious disinformation. This can obscure that part of its function: to produce a kind of information pollution that warps viewers’ perception of reality. It creates an alternate universe where baseless conspiracies mix into legitimate news, major events are ignored and the president can do no wrong. So I’ve decided to binge-watch my way into that reality.
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As it happens, I chose the day that CNN and The Washington Post score a massive scoop: audio from Trump’s interview with Bob Woodward, in which the president admits – in the early days of the pandemic, which will soon claim 200,000 American lives – that he is purposely downplaying the coronavirus. If I was keeping an eye on Twitter or flipping channels I’d know about this bombshell right away, but on OAN, it barely exists.
7am to noon
Donald Trump is seen behind US flags as he speaks to supporters Mosinee, Wisconsin. MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images
OAN’s daytime shows typically feature a single host sitting at a desk or a couch in front of a city backdrop or stock market-themed green screen. It should look like any other channel, but even with all the trappings of cable news, there is always an uncanny valley between OAN and a regular network. The lighting and graphics are somehow slightly off, and awkward stock footage such as faceless businessmen shaking hands is embedded in reports. There are minor technical issues and hosts flub their lines along the way. The live ticker at the bottom of the screen for hours has no news; it just constantly scrolls “VISIT OANN.COM | FOLLOW @OANN ON TWITTER.”
OAN’s morning programming is incredibly repetitive. Although the hosts change each hour, much of the scripts they read remain the same, and pre-taped news segments air multiple times. What host Stephanie Myers presents just before 7am is sometimes identical to what host Lilia Fifield says an hour later, which is repeated again on Wall to Wall with Greta Wall later in the morning. There is no context or analysis for many news events, such as a fire at a refugee camp in Greece, often just repurposed footage from news agencies or local stations and voiceover that sounds aggregated from news wires like Reuters.
These more generic segments are the closest OAN comes to being a straight news channel, which is how its owner Robert Herring Sr. promoted the network when he launched it along with his son Charles in 2013. Herring Sr., a multimillionaire Republican donor, initially touted the network as just-the-facts news without biased commentary.
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Herring Sr. reportedly played a significant role in making the network’s coverage increasingly right-wing and pro-Trump, and several anchors anonymously told Politico that many on staff are not diehard conservatives but dejected liberals who are simply trying to hold on to a job in broadcasting.
OAN quickly morphed into an outright pro-Trump outlet that aired his rallies in full during the 2016 presidential election campaign and now lauds his administration. The shift has made OAN a rising star in the right-wing media ecosystem, resulting in the president repeatedly praising the station on Twitter and giving OAN closer access into Trump World. Ratings are allegedly up 55% compared with last year, Charles Herring told Politico. (OAN doesn’t subscribe to industry-standard Nielsen ratings, making it hard to know exact viewership numbers.)
Even when OAN isn’t promoting outright misinformation, its choice of what to cover helps shape a world that its conspiratorial coverage then distorts. Portland police being paid increased overtime during protests is elevated to national news and manages to fit in mention of “violent rioters.” A story about a federal ban on imports from China’s Xinjiang province and another on the Pacific nation of Palau inviting the US to build a military base frame America as boldly countering China’s influence. It doesn’t matter that the Palau story is almost a week old, or that the Customs and Border Protection has not made any formal announcement on Xinjiang imports.
Where OAN really begins to deviate from reality, however, is in its programming that features guest interviews or pre-taped segments from its better-known personalities. Just after 7am, Fifield introduces a segment from Rion, the White House correspondent, that is an absurd defence of Trump against The Atlantic’s damaging report that the president called Americans who died in war “losers” and “suckers.”
“A once-respected journal now finds itself exposed as a privately funded fiction factory for the DNC,” Rion says, claiming that The Atlantic’s reporting, which has been backed up by multiple other outlets including Fox News, “went down in journalistic flames.”
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The segment baselessly accuses Atlantic journalists of being puppets for owner Laurene Powell-Jobs, whom Rion describes as “America’s new George Soros” who hired a “coterie of pet writers” to do her bidding. Rion, who is also the “curator-at-large” of a word appreciation website that claims to be the “premier destination for lovers of fine words,” lingers on pronouncing “coterie.”
The segment airs multiple times just in the first few hours of the day, and as Rion talks about “truth” and “reality,” the words begin to lose any meaning. I become fixated on why there is a large gray smudge in the second “o” of a sinister “anonymous sources” graphic. I watch Powell-Jobs’ headshot slowly pan across the screen over and over.
“Society’s only hope against such bad actors is the truth, in the hope that it ultimately prevails,” Rion says in a sentence that will slowly sear its way into my mind over the course of the day.
Chanel Rion became a fixture during of the White House coronavirus briefings earlier this year, gaining notoriety for asking bizarre or softball questions. MANDEL NGAN via Getty Images
Another piece repeated throughout the morning is a report from OAN’s Pearson Sharp, who sounds like the voice of Moviefone, promoting Trump’s claims that mail-in voting will result in fraud, giving the impression “illegals” will receive ballots and falsely suggesting Hillary Clinton only won the popular vote in 2016 because “almost 6 million ballots went missing” and “just vanished.” Sharp’s source in this segment is a right-wing advocacy group with a history of misleading and debunked statements that is run by a former Trump administration official. OAN will air it six times on Wednesday.
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Fact-checking OAN, especially 16-straight hours of it, is basically a Sisyphean task. There are simply too many pieces of misinformation per minute to catch up, and the central premise of its coverage is often so misleading that it defies any good faith engagement.
Between 7am and noon, OAN runs interviews with right-wing think tankers under the banner “Economists Warn A Biden America Would Destroy Economy” and Sharp talking with a California pro-gun activist who claims billionaires are coming to take away the second amendment. (“Including George Soros?!” Sharp asks.) OAN also brings on Trump pollster John McLaughlin, who condemns “skewed media polls” showing the president trailing Biden and talks about pro-Trump boat parades.
“If more people owned boats we’d win this in a landslide,” McLaughlin says.
News consumers in the rest of the country, even viewers of Fox News, are seeing a succession of major stories that Wednesday: massive wildfires engulfed large parts of California, where OAN is based, and turned the sky above San Francisco an apocalyptic orange. A Rochester, New York, police chief and his top officials resigned after allegations of covering up police involvement in the death of Daniel Prude, a Black man who suffocated after officers put a bag over his head during an arrest.
But meanwhile, at around 11:20am, OAN airs an unbroken feed of Department of Homeland Security acting Secretary Chad Wolf delivering a “state of the homeland” address where he defends the agency’s crackdown on nationwide anti-racism protests.
A few hours after this address, it will become public that a DHS official filed a major whistleblower complaint that claims Wolf twice told him to stop reporting on the Russian threat to the US election because it “made Trump look bad.” I will not find out about this until the next day, because OAN will not cover it during the 16 hours I’m watching.
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Noon to 6pm
While the rest of the news media covers the Woodward revelations, which broke just before noon, I am looking at OAN still showing a live feed of Wolf’s speech even though he has now stopped talking and left the podium.
“There are shuttles waiting outside,” one official helpfully tells the attending audience.
When OAN cuts back to the studio, host Jennifer Franco summarises Wolf’s speech and then goes on to introduce a series of stories that include a poll showing Portland’s disapproval of its mayor, a Republican bill to increase pay for law enforcement officers and a Belgian magazine accused of using blackface on its cover. The Atlantic segment airs again.
“Society’s only hope against such bad actors is the truth, in the hope that it ultimately prevails,” Rion says.
At around 12:10pm, OAN runs a segment bashing Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden for “flip flopping” on mask policy, and I realise despite multiple stories condemning him, this is the first time in five hours I have heard Biden speak.
It’s exceedingly rare to actually hear from any Democrats or people with dissenting views. Trump is everywhere – on b-roll, speaking at length at his rally and giving live pressers – but Kamala Harris and Biden are only ever mentioned and function as unspeaking villains. A few-second clip of Harris during a segment on former Fox News host Megyn Kelly condemning her for praising police shooting victim Jacob Blake’s family, and another brief clip of Biden talking about masks, are essentially all we hear from them all day.
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About 5 hours into watching OAN my television asks if I am still there and begins a countdown to turn itself off. I watch for a few seconds then press a button on the remote to stop it. I will solely watch OAN all day, only getting up from in front of the TV to grab food or go to the bathroom. During one commercial break later in the day, I run down to the corner store to buy beer.
In the bottom left corner of the screen, OAN has a live feed previewing the upcoming White House press briefing. Before it cuts to the presser, OAN will cover luxury giant LVMH possibly dropping its deal to acquire Tiffany, rerun its segment on Trump being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize – now with a quote from the Norwegian far-right politician stating that “Barack Obama did nothing” to receive the award – and report that the Oscars is adding a diversity component to its selection process. The channel will tease a segment promising to reveal the reason the Baylor vs. Louisiana Tech college football game has been postponed. (Several players tested positive for coronavirus, which is not given any broader context.)
When the network cuts to the live White House briefing, it only takes a few minutes for reality to Kool-Aid Man its way through the wall of OAN. As soon as White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany opens up the floor to questions, almost every reporter asks about the Woodward tapes.
“I’d like to ask you about the Woodward interviews. Did President Trump intentionally mislead the American people about the threat of Covid – a pandemic that has now cost the lives of nearly 200,000 Americans?” CBS White House correspondent Paula Reid says.
I don’t know exactly what has happened at this point, but it’s pretty obvious that it’s not good for Trump and has become a big enough story to be simply referred to as the “Woodward interviews.” It also makes me hyperconscious that there are likely a number of important stories that I don’t know about because I’ve instead watched three segments on Eric Trump declaring that the NFL is “officially dead” because Dallas Cowboys players may take a knee.
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McEnany holds the daily briefing at the White House on Sept. 9, 2020. Jonathan Ernst / reuters
Toward the end of the briefing, McEnany cuts off a question about Trump drawing down troops in Iraq – something I can’t remember if I’m also hearing about for the first time – and calls on OAN’s Rion at the back of the briefing room. Rion asks if Palestinians have “expressed any interest in distancing themselves from Iran, in the interest of Middle East peace.” The biggest story to OAN is still Trump’s peace prize nomination.
When OAN cuts back to the studio, Fifield briefly summarises some of what McEnany said in the briefing and then moves right along to other news. Fifield announces that former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has praised Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize nomination. The news ticker at the bottom of the screen is working now, and it also reports that Trump has been nominated for the prize.
At a time when any reasonable news outlet could have gotten it together to address the major breaking news story making international headlines, OAN cuts to an unbroken feed of vice president Mike Pence giving a fireside chat to anti-abortion organisation Susan B. Anthony List. Pence laments that the Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana law restricting access to abortion and vows that it means “we need more conservatives on the Supreme Court of the United States.” Pence wraps up after 2pm, and then it’s back to Greta Wall with the top story that air travel is down over Labor Day. The Atlantic segment airs again.
It’s not until around 3pm that OAN addresses the Woodward interviews, which it frames as “the White House shuts down the mainstream media over Bob Woodward’s book.” A short clip of Trump telling Woodward he likes to play down the severity of coronavirus airs, and host Jennifer Franco repeats nearly the same talking points that McEnany used hours earlier during the White House briefing.
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After a perfunctory acknowledgement of the Woodward interview, the network quickly moves on. Donald Trump Jr. has defended the 17-year-old militia supporter accused of killing two people in Kenosha, Wisconsin, during anti-racism protests. Trump Jr. tells Extra “we all do stupid things at 17” and OAN states that Trump Jr. is “waiting for due process” before making judgments. I am getting the impression this is not a banner day for the Trump administration, though on OAN there’s no cause for concern.
Trump makes his first live appearance of the day just before 4pm, when he is announcing his list of possible nominees for the Supreme Court. As he goes through his choices, I think I hear senator Josh Hawley called, but wonder if perhaps there is a judge with the same name. I hear senator Tom Cotton and Ted Cruz listed as well, and realise something strange has happened.
OAN moves past Trump’s nominations so fast that I wonder if I had misheard them, and I start to consider what other networks look like. I imagine Twitter is melting down while OAN airs a segment on Walmart considering drone delivery. I don’t know that Cotton has also tweeted “it’s time for Roe v. Wade to go” just moments after Trump named him, and OAN will never mention it for the entire time I’m watching.
It is obviously an extreme to get information solely from watching OAN, let alone 16 hours of it, but it’s at least partially reflective of how conservative audiences consume news media. Right-wing audiences tend to receive their information from fewer sources than left-wing audiences, according to Pew Research Center reports, and have high degrees of trust toward those sources while distrusting established news outlets. Media analysts argue that this dynamic makes conservative audiences more susceptible to falling into right-wing echo chambers rife with misinformation.
6pm to 11pm
Trump speaks as social media personalities Lynnette Hardaway (L) and Rochelle Richardson (2-L), otherwise known as Diamond and Silk listen during a meeting. NICHOLAS KAMM via Getty Images
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Watching OAN for this long gives you the feeling like you’re stuck in an airport in some alternate version of America where press freedom and media independence have evaporated. Even more than Fox News, it’s probably the closest the United States has to something that would feel natural in an authoritarian-leaning country.
In Hungary, far-right nationalist prime minister Viktor Orban hollowed out the media to the point where most news outlets are under the control of sympathetic oligarchs who have fired or pushed out anyone critical of the government. It’s not that these outlets have stopped carrying any news, it’s that it is devalued or unreliable and only toes the party line. Meanwhile, the more extreme tabloids traffic in conspiracies and outright government propaganda, and this is what OAN’s prime-time news lineup feels like.
Apart from pre-taped segments like the ones Rion and Sharp deliver, the really outlandish conspiracies and intense spin happen during OAN’s nighttime broadcasts. It takes a couple hours of coverage that includes Ohio governor Mike DeWine appearing as a guest to defend Trump over the Woodward interviews and a few ad breaks teasing “what familiar faces from the Senate” made Trump’s Supreme Court list, but by 8pm, the channel is in full swing.
“When you have a cold, do we close down the country?” Lynette “Diamond” Hardaway of the duo Diamond and Silk, coronavirus conspiracy theorists and former Fox News pundits, asks OAN host Stephanie Hamill. “I’m getting real tired of science.”
Diamond and Silk, who were cut from Fox News after promoting coronavirus conspiracies, go on to falsely suggest that Covid-19 death tolls are being inflated. (Medical experts believe that we are actually undercounting them.)
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“Society’s only hope against such bad actors is the truth, in the hope that it will ultimately prevail.”
Hamill’s other guests include far-right conspiracy theorist Dinesh D’Souza and several other conservative activists who attack Black Lives Matter and The Atlantic, and go on to call for “strict criminal penalties” for “false rape claims” while discussing the sexual assault allegations against Trump. At one point, Hamill condemns tech platforms for taking down “second amendment groups.”
“When they don’t like your ideas they call you a racist. They call you a white supremacist,” Hamill tells one guest.
Hamill is followed by Liz Wheeler, whom Trump has singled out for praise on Twitter, and who hosts the show “Tipping Point” with an unblinking intensity. Wheeler’s first segment is a lengthy condemnation of an unknown Rhode Island high school civics teacher, whom she accuses of promoting “anti-Trump indoctrination” for making her students read critical articles from HuffPost, The Daily Beast and The Atlantic. This is a prime-time national news story on OAN.
“This teacher is a perfect example of the rot in public schools,” Wheeler says.
“Tipping Point’s” other targets include The Atlantic (again), Kamala Harris and Facebook, which Wheeler accuses of “censoring” one of her videos that was flagged for misinformation. Wheeler’s show mercifully ends at 10 p.m., bringing up the final program of the night: “After Hours” with host Alex Salvi.
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Although all of OAN’s late-night talent resemble off-brand Fox News hosts, none are less convincing than Salvi, whose show has the cobbled together feel of a last-minute grade school book report.
“Tonight, Donald Trump is a Nobel Peace Prize nominee,” Salvi announces at the top of the show.
Salvi claims that Trump did not win his first nomination in 2018 “despite historical precedent being on his side,” giving the nonsensical comparison of president Theodore Roosevelt winning the prize for brokering peace in the 1904 Russo-Japanese war.
After playing a clip from Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show addressing the Woodward interview, Salvi goes on to dismiss Woodward as simply promoting “another resistance grifter book deal.” Republican National Committee spokesperson Cassie Smedile appears as a guest to back him up.
I have now been watching OAN for over 15 straight hours, but even I take notice at Salvi’s next chyron, which reads “Christian Walker: BLM Is KKK In Blackface” and “BLM Is A Domestic Terrorist Organisation That Hurts Black Americans.” The guest is Christian Walker, son of GOP convention speaker Herschel Walker, who tells Salvi that media and elites are on “a campaign to destroy Western civilisation.”
After that hint of far-right extremism, Salvi ends his program by playing part of the trailer for Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, which he says he saw over the weekend and was “pretty entertaining to say the least.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-19--A Beginner's Guide to English Wine Now We Can't Do Booze Cruises

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When you think of fine wine, your mind may wander to the gently sloping vineyards of Bordeaux in the south of France or California’s wine country – but perhaps you need to look closer to home. Because British wine is on the up.
There are fields of new vineyards being planted on our shores, driven by the excellent sales of English sparkling wines. Yes, we can do fizz, too. Annual production has doubled from just over six million bottles per year in 2014 to more than 15.6 million bottles in England and Wales in 2018.
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After years of uncertainty around Brexit and coronavirus making travel to Europe an ongoing gamble, the booze cruise is currently a non-starter. But in place of of hopping over the channel to fill up the car boot with French plonk, why not turn your attention – and taste buds – to wines made right here in the UK.
Wondering where to start? Here’s what you need to know about the scene how to look for the perfect pour.
Sunnier spells, better harvest
According to the Wine Standards Board of the Food Standards Agency, there are now more than 700 vineyards planted, spanning 2,000 hectares – a 75% increase in the past six years alone. The recent warmer and drier summers, coupled with a better understanding of soils and micro-climates, mean English vineyards are producing greater yields than ever.
“The sunnier climate has improved winemaking in the UK massively,” Kristin Syltevik, owner of Oxney Organic Estate in East Sussex, explains to HuffPost UK. “It’s obviously quite scary the earth is getting hotter, but a couple of degrees over the years has benefited us.
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“Obviously, people have been growing grapes in England for many years, and vineyards across the country have been growing Germanic hybrids and different varieties, but they’re not always the tastiest or the best grapes. Now we can grow types such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which require a hotter climate.”
If you’re looking for an autumn holiday or a short weekend staycation, take a tour of an English vineyard and stay the night. Not only are you supporting local businesses, but right now is harvest season and it’s the best time to visit.
Kent and Sussex are host to a glut of producers, but there are vineyards as far afield as Cornwall and Shropshire and Suffolk – even some in sunny Yorkshire.
Oxney Organic Wine Estate Oxney Organic Wine Estate in East Sussex.
Mastering our craft
Over the years, English winemakers have been honing their craft – where there’s no direct competition, winemakers learn from one another and it’s a supportive industry – and we’re now seeing the fruit of their labour.
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“The knowledge and wine accessibility has got a lot better in this country since the mid-noughties, for sure,” says Bert Blaize, expert sommelier, head of food and drink at Birch Community and co-author of wine guide, Which, Wine, When.
“People are curious and more open-minded to try new things rather than just saying, ‘I only drink Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.’ 2018 and 2019 were two of the best English wine vintages we’ve ever had a record in this country.”
More people are willing to take a punt on English wines than ever this year, he says – the pandemic encouraged us to shop more locally, seasonally, and opt for artisanal produce when supermarkets shelves were bare from panic-buying.
“Of course, it takes a long time to kind of convince people that English wine is as good as its European counterparts,” Syltevik adds.
“It’ll take us a while to get everyone on the same page, but it’s a brilliant product that’s super tasty and has won many awards. Everyone should give it a try.”
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Colin-Freeman Bert Blaize and Claire Strickett, authors of Which Wine When
Decisions, decisions, decisions
When it comes to English wines, you can find increasingly good varieties on the supermarket shelves, as well as buying directly from vineyards and specialist wine merchants. It’s not always going to be the cheapest option – a good bottle hovers around the £20-£30 mark, but supermarkets have options from as little as £11. Waitrose has a particularly wide selection, Marks and Spencer’s is also good, and Tesco’s website currently has both regular and sparking whites,
White wines have make up the bulk of homegrown wine for a while, but English reds are also improving. So what to choose? Organic versus conventional? Classics like Chardonnay or the new English Pinot Noirs? Perhaps something a little out there like Bacchus, Pinot Meunier or Ortega?
“I think naturally food and wine just go hand in hand. People are experimenting more with the kind of wines that they’ve been drinking,” Blaize explains.
“If you’re not sure what to go for then just break it down. I always like to think about wine, as a condiment. For example, if you’re having fish and chips, you know there’s loads of salt, vinegar, and perhaps lemon for the fish. It’s immediately telling you that you need a lot of acidity, so opt for a white wine that’s really dry with lemony flavours, so something like champagne or cava would pair really well.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-19--8 Myths About Covid-19 Testing, Busted

8 Myths About Covid-19 Testing, Busted

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Thinking about getting a test for Covid-19? If that’s the case, it can be hard to know where to start – after all, there’s so much information out there.
Before you set about the task, here are some key testing myths that need putting to bed.
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1. You should get a test if you have a runny nose or sore throat.
While you should get a Covid test if you have any of the three main symptoms of Covid-19 – a continuous cough, fever, or loss of (or a change) in sense of taste or smell – you shouldn’t seek a test for other symptoms at this stage, according to government advice.
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Public Health England (PHE) suggests there’s been a spike in other viruses that cause the common cold, which can cause symptoms including a runny nose, sneezing and a sore throat. But people shouldn’t book tests for these kinds of symptoms.
Some people reporting symptoms to the Covid-19 Tracker app might be urged to book a test for the purpose of academic research, despite having different symptoms to the three listed above. Care home residents and staff members are also able to get tested even if they don’t have symptoms.
2. It’s only for adults.
The Covid-19 tests available in the UK are also available to children.
There are two ways to get tested: booking a visit to a test site or ordering a home testing kit. Both methods require you to self-refer via the government’s website and during this process, you’ll need to fill out an online form with some personal details. You can also book a test in this way for someone you live with who is displaying symptoms.
The at-home tests, which involve a nasal and throat swab, should be carried out by an adult on children aged 11 and under.
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zstockphotos via Getty Images
It’s particularly important children are tested if they have symptoms of Covid-19, as they’re less likely to be wearing face masks or social distancing at school.
If your child has any of the symptoms listed above, get a test to check if they have coronavirus as soon as possible. While you wait for the test result, you and the rest of your family should self-isolate, and if the test result comes back positive, you should self-isolate as a household for 14 days.
3. If one family member becomes ill, you should all get tested.
People should only get tests if they have symptoms of Covid-19, which means if you come down with symptoms and your other half doesn’t, they shouldn’t get tested but should self-isolate. If they don’t come down with symptoms, there’s a likelihood they may be asymptomatic, which means they could still spread the virus around but are not necessarily sick.
You can get a test for someone you live with if they have symptoms of Covid-19, but government advice is that you shouldn’t order tests for people you live with who do not have these symptoms.
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4. You can have a test weeks after becoming ill.
The coronavirus test widely used in the UK should be carried out within the first five days of experiencing symptoms – anything longer than that and there’s a high chance you’ll get a negative result, even if you do have Covid-19.
Urgency is key, which isn’t ideal when lots of people are reporting being unable to get access to tests at all. NHS staff are being forced to stay off work and self-isolate because they cannot access coronavirus tests for themselves or family members, while some people have had to drive long distances to testing facilities, only to be turned away.
5. You can have a test for free on the NHS if you’re going abroad.
Wrong. If you’re going abroad and you need to take a test beforehand for the purposes of being able to travel, you should pay for a private test rather than using the free testing service available on the NHS. Private tests can range in price from £99 right up to £195.
6. The test hurts.
There’s a widely held belief that having the nasal swab hurts. While it can be a bit uncomfortable or strange, it shouldn’t hurt or be painful.
7. It’s 100% accurate.
Unfortunately, the test currently used across the UK can sometimes throw up false negative results – where people have Covid-19 but the test doesn’t flag it up. This could mean some people are unknowingly going about their lives and spreading the virus. It’s been suggested as many as one in five test results could throw up a false negative.
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That said, the test is still the best chance we’ve got of telling us how rapidly Covid-19 is spreading in the community. And it’s mostly offering a good indication of who does and doesn’t have it.
It’s also worth noting your doctor might clinically diagnose you with Covid-19 even if your test comes back negative, in which case you will still need to self-isolate.
8. It’s easy to get a test if you really need one.
Covid-19 tests are like gold dust in some parts of the country right now, leading certain groups to be prioritised for testing – this includes at-risk groups and people living in areas where there is an outbreak.
Delays have been attributed to a severe backlog in processing the tests in laboratories, where there’s inability to keep up with current demand.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson told HuffPost UK people should check the government website at different times of the day to try and get a test. “Booking slots for Covid testing sites are made available the evening before for morning appointments, and on the morning for afternoon appointments,” they said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-19--The Story of Tracy Beaker: Where Are The Cast Now?

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As Tracy Beaker is set to return back to our screens soon, it felt only right to go down memory lane and look back at one of the most iconic kids’ TV series of the 2000s.
The Story Of Tracy Beaker introduced us to the brutal but uplifting world of the children’s care home The Dumping Ground, previously featured in Jacqueline Wilson’s popular books.
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In the 15 years since the last episode of The Story Of Tracy Beaker, the doors of The Dumping Ground have reopened a few times, in successful spin-off shows like Tracy Beaker Returns and The Tracy Beaker Survival Files. But can anything quite beat the original series?
As a treat for 00s kids everywhere, we’ve rounded up some of the most memorable characters, and taken a look at what the actors who played them have been up to over the last 15 years...
Dani Harmer as Tracy Beaker (Series 1-5)
BBC/Shutterstock
Tracy Beaker is obviously one the most iconic British kids’ TV characters, with one hell of a personality. Her feisty and strong independent self got her in more wrong places than right, but even though she acted tough, Tracy still had a soft side and would often imagine her mother coming back to get her from The Dumping Ground.
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Dani Harmer played Tracy Beaker for more than 10 years, both in the original show and spin-offs like Tracy Beaker Returns and The Dumping Ground.
Even if you never watched Tracy Beaker, Dani may still look familiar because she was part of series 10 of Strictly Come Dancing. She made it all the way to the final of the competition, where she was partnered with Vincent Simone.
She has also starred as herself in shows like Dani’s House and Dani’s Castle on CBBC.
Dani is soon set to reprise her role in the new show, My Mum Tracy Beaker.
Montanna Thompson played Justine Littlewood (Series 1-5, 3)
BBC/Twitter
How can we ever forget Tracy Beaker’s arch nemesis Justine Littlewood? After Justine moved into The Dumping Ground, she became friends with Louise Goven, Tracy’s best friend, causing tension between Justine and Tracy.
Montanna Thompson played Justine for four years on the hit CBBC series and even returned for an appearance in the spin-off Tracy Beaker Returns.
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She has starred in many shows since Tracy Beaker, like Doctors, Casualty, The Last Detective and Sugar Rush, as well as starring in 2017 film Kill Or Be Killed.
Chelsie Padley played Louise Goven (Series 1-3)
BBC/Instagram
Louise was the one always caught in the middle of Justine and Tracy. Tracy Beaker and Louise were best friends at the beginning of the series, but once Tracy moved out The Dumping Ground after being fostered, they drifted apart. However, as expected, Tracy fell out with her new foster parents returning back to find Louise best friend’s with Justine. Thus, the tension began...
Chelsie Padley was only 10 when she first auditioned for the role of Louise Goven.
She stopped acting shortly after starring in Tati’s Hotel in 2011, and is now a fitness coach and the founder of Fit Peach Fitness, where she gives wellness and fitness tips.
Ben Hanson and Ciaran Joyce played Bradley “Bouncer” Plakova and his brother Lawrence “Lol” Plakova (Series 2-5)
BBC/Instagram
This inseparable mischievous duo were known for pulling pranks on all the other residents at the Dumping Ground.
Ciaran Joyce, who played “Lol”, is still pursuing acting but has not appeared on screen recently. He has starred in CBBC’s Young Dracula, Holby City and Torchwood.
Ben Hanson played Lol’s brother “Bouncer” for three series. He has made appearances in BBC’s Casualty and guest presented for CBBC, and according to his Twitter bio, now works as both an estate agent and actor.
Lisa Coleman played Cam Lawson (Series 1-5)
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Lisa Coleman played the character of Cam Lawson, a struggling author who later on went to foster Tracy from the Dumping Ground, later appearing in various spin-off shows.
Since then, Lisa has starred in other notable TV shows such as Hollyoaks and Casualty.
Nisha Nayar played Elaine Boyak AKA. Elaine The Pain (Series 1-5)
BBC/Twitter
Nisha Nayar starred as Tracy’s care worker Elaine for five series of the show from 2002 to 2005.
Elaine faced some big challenges in The Dumping Ground when it came to finding the right foster parents for Tracy Beaker.
Nisha’s first big break on the big screen was in the groundbreaking comedy Bhaji On The Beach, playing Ladhu. Some of her recent roles are on BBC’s Doctors and ITV’s three-part drama Midwinter Of Spirit. You may have also noticed her in The Bay where she played Rahael Malik.
Craig Roberts, Sophie Borja-Edwards and Deepal Parmar played The Wellard Trio - Rio, Roxy and Chantel Wellard (Series 4-5)
BBC
This iconic troublesome sibling trio stuck together through thick and thin in The Dumping Ground, not letting anyone run over them, especially not Tracy Beaker.
The bandana-wearing character, Rio Wellard was portrayed by Craig Roberts. Craig has gone onto have a successful acting career, landing roles in high-profile films like Bad Neighbours, 22 Jump Street, Richard Ayoade’s Submarine and 2019′s Tolkien.
Roxy Wellard, Rio’s half-sister, was played by Sophie Borja Edwards. Along with her siblings. Sophie went on to star in Casualty and but hasn’t made many TV appearances since.
Deepal Parmar, who portrayed Chantel Wellard, has continued her acting career, from playing Doctors in 2016 to starring in two short films, Wordless and Beauty in the Street.
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Clive Rowe played Norman Ellington AKA Duke (Series 1-4)
BBC/Shutterstock
Duke was the cuddly caretaker and chef of The Dumping Ground. He took great care of everyone and was often the unsung hero. Duke left the Dumping Ground in series four to visit his family in the Caribbean.
Clive Rowe, who portrayed Duke, has gone on to have a successful career in the film and TV industry. He has starred in several episodes of Doctor Who, and landed small roles in Hollywood hits such as Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Beauty and the Beast, alongside Emma Watson, in 2017. Clive has also regularly worked in theatre and pantomimes including performing in the West End.
In 2020, he was appointed the patron of the Hackney Empire and is currently campaigning to help it survive during the Covid-19 crisis.
Darragh Mortell played Liam “Crash” Daniels (Series 3-5)
BBC/Dani Harmer Academy
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Crash was one of Tracy’s closest and loyal friends.
Actor Darragh Mortell, who portrayed Crash, has gone to have a successful career in film and television. Darragh has starred in Casualty and Hollyoaks as well as acting alongside Dani in CBBC shows like Dani’s House.
He is currently a writer and director and has written and directed episodes of Dani’s House and Millie Inbetween.
Abby Rakic Platt played Jackie Hopper (Series 3-5)
BBC/Twitter
Sports enthusiast Jackie Hopper was brought into the Dumping Ground after her grandad was no longer fit to look after her and went into care. Jackie was adamant there was nothing wrong with her grandad, although he had in fact developed Alzheimer’s.
Abby Rakic Platt, who portrayed Jackie, has also starred in Casualty and The Bill. More recently, she has played Kirsty Raven in Michaela Coel’s hit comedy show Chewing Gum.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-19--We Relearned To Love Nature In Lockdown, But Our Government Isn’t Protecting It For Us

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In lockdown I turned into a regular wildlife peeping Tom. With remote cameras all around the farmland I’m lucky enough to live on, I spied on the swallows fledging under my deck, the fox that owns our local lanes, and the swans nesting in my neighbour’s garden.
My obsession, though, was our badger sett. Almost every day I’d take my little boy to wander round the bluebells and beech trees, setting up cameras to pry into their secret world. The following day we’d wake up like it was Christmas morning, and catch up with our badgers as they got bolder and hungrier. We gasped together with joy when two cubs finally emerged.
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This little monochrome clan became an extended part of my own family. On nights where one cub didn’t show we’d be distraught, desperate to find out no tragedy had befallen them. Badgers have it pretty hard in the British countryside. They’re about to have it a whole lot harder.
Despite the British government’s March commitment to end the controversial culling of badgers in favour of vaccination programs, they have now reneged on that promise, granting licences for thousands more badgers to be killed. As president of my region’s Wildlife Trust, I think it important to clarify why so many are vehemently opposed to this new cull.
First, it’s not because I’m a precious environmentalist snowflake who doesn’t understand how the countryside works. Granted, the fact I consider four local badgers that I’ve only ever seen on CCTV as family may mark me as a sentimentalist. But let’s talk about why it’s important to have them in our countryside.
“Blasting away at any visible badgers hoping they’re infected just makes the problem worse. Transpose this methodology to a certain human disease and you’ll get a sense of quite how bonkers this is.”
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The definitive study on badgers and bovine TB is the 196-page Krebs report. It was carried out with data collated from the Randomised Badger Culling Trial 1998-2007, by an impartial group headed up by top Oxford professor Lord Krebs – at a cost of £50 million to the taxpayer, and involving 11,000 badger kills. Certain facts about badgers and bovine TB (bTB) are not in dispute. Badgers are definitely a reservoir of the disease in the wild, with 4.05% being infected, and they can transmit this disease to cattle. Completely eliminating badgers from an area, can result in a significant decrease in new cases of bTB in cattle. However, even if you could wipe out all of our badgers, a total eradication of the species from our shores will not end bTB for one simple reason: almost every other animal in the British countryside is a vector of the disease – moles, foxes, mink, rats, ferrets, all our deer species, even us. If we wipe out our badgers, we will still have to address the problem of bTB.
What’s more, we know culls don’t even reduce new cases. But taking out a few badgers from an established population does change the behaviour of the survivors. When you start shooting, badgers get out their backpacks and take a hike. This dispersal puts diseased badgers into contact with more healthy ones, and more cattle too. In a nutshell, unless you kill every single badger, the survivors move around more, and new cases of bTB increase.
All this means those shoddy ‘pilot’ culls combined have killed an estimated 170,000 animals by end 2020, of which 157,000 were healthy. That’s about 35% of our badgers, with no noticeable positive effects on bTB. Wandering about the British countryside blasting away at any visible badgers hoping they’re infected just makes the problem worse. Transpose this methodology to a certain human disease and you’ll get a sense of quite how bonkers this is. Now there’s been a move to cage trapping for culling (though some free shooting remains), it’s just as easy to administer an injection to the thigh of a trapped badger as it is a shot to the head. How about rather than paying for pointless persecution, we roll out vaccination schemes across the country?
“These ill-thought out, rushed pilot culls are solely designed to placate powerful lobbying groups.”
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The real reason that those working in conservation are so unsettled by the cull is that it shows our government’s true prerogatives when it comes to the countryside. That in their eyes wildlife is totally expendable. A thorough study clearly showed a cull would not work, so it was swept under the rug, and we keep shooting badgers so the government can be seen to be taking action. These ill-thought out, rushed pilot culls are solely designed to placate powerful lobbying groups. Despite the pilot culls showing no demonstrable benefit to TB levels in cattle, these culls continue and further culls have subsequently been rolled out into new areas year after year.
If there was one thing I learned throughout lockdown, it was that there are millions of British people who really value what wildlife we have left. In the odd days of this spring and summer people treasured their time outside, spent more time in their gardens, discovered wild wonders they never knew existed on their patch. So many people found solace in nature, in their local countryside, in the secret animals that lived there. They wanted to know what they could do to practically help their furry and feathered neighbours.
Well, what we can all do now is let our local MP, and our government, know that even in troubled times, we love and value our wildlife. We can demand that its treatment be based on evidence, not some weary whim. With badgers it really is all black and white.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-19--The Last Thing I Wanted Was Lockdown With My Ex. But My Son Needed Him

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As I took a nighttime walk with my 13-year-old son, ten days into the pandemic, I asked him why he wanted his dad to move into our basement. He launched into a pitch citing statistics and facts about how “particulate could penetrate hospital masks,” until I interrupted him.
“Can you tell me from your emotions? Don’t talk from your brain.”
We walked for about 20 seconds before his voice went soft and sincere. “I’m worried he’ll get sick and I’m worried about him on his own. I know him, solitude doesn’t suit him.”
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When my partner left me after 28 years, I was devastated. He made me feel small, betrayed and helpless. The last thing I wanted at that uncertain time was to share a home again with my own private Thanos. But hearing this, bam, just like that, I unlocked the door to the AirBnB in the house my ex and I were fighting over.
The night before he moved in, I closed my eyes and said out loud to the empty room we had once shared: “I’m going to take this opportunity to create a better, more respectful relationship with my ex.”
“My ex moved in on a Thursday. We were at each other’s throats by Monday.”
BerSonnE via Getty Images Vector illustration of Family icons head
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We may never have another opportunity to renew our friendship, I reasoned, or to be the parents our son needs. Most of all, I wanted to keep our son safe. As infections and death tolls around the world mounted, I didn’t want my son travelling back and forth across the city just because we have shared custody.
I was scared and needed my child close by. The problem was that my kid was also frightened, and he wanted his dad there, too.
My ex moved in on a Thursday. We were at each other’s throats by Monday.
My coddling and his short fuse all felt like deja vu, but this time around I knew what was behind the compulsive cleaning and grammar-correcting that he used to vent his frustrations. This time I didn’t try to make him happy.
Soon, the quibbling became part of the lockdown routine. There was nothing to be late for, no pick ups or drop offs — just endless days of computer screens, hand wringing and pacing through rooms that, up until recently, had felt cleansed of the hurt left over from the end of our marriage.
My chest felt tight and I stopped sleeping. My eyes would snap open in the middle of the night and I’d picture him two floors below, in my house, again. Mornings became a time of anxiety knowing we’d soon come face to face.
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I recognized the person I was becoming. It was me from two years ago, from a decade ago, when our relationship was a source of constant anxiety. This was the me that needed to be heard and believed. “Reframe it,” I thought. “It’s a gift, and it may never happen again.”
Nonetheless, many days into it I told him I was afraid he was going to leave us again. As it slipped out of my mouth, I realized that I wanted him to stay. Maybe to help parent, to live through this crisis — to be my ally — so I wasn’t alone in the most uncertain time of all our lives. But what I saw was someone far more afraid than I was that I might still want him. I could tell he was keeping more than his social distance from me. He had never had a friend like me, even though I considered him my best friend at one time. He still couldn’t seem to see how amazing the world was, or I was; only the faults.
“Sometimes our laughter came easily, and it all almost felt normal.”
In the weeks after our split, I got a dog – a sort of “divorce support animal” — so there was this crazy-ass pit bull around all the time. I could tell my ex had a soft spot for her. One day, I asked him how it felt to play with her or pet her. “I’m just trying to help with your stupid dog,” he scoffed. But, I could see it. I got this dog to rescue me and my son, and now it appeared she was also rescuing him. Very slowly.
That day, I allowed myself to feel a little bit of optimism.
Being stuck together in lockdown began to feel like a metaphor for the inescapable responsibility we shared as our son’s parents. We started to play Dungeons and Dragons as a family, and video games where each character must cooperate to complete the quest. We began to make dinners together, and play with the dog.
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When it was just me and my ex, we talked of anti-racism, and J.K. Rowling’s missteps, and the Spanish Flu, and the end of fossil fuels. Once we quietly contemplated our fears, whispering of things that once seemed so far away, but were now as real and alarming as the upcoming school term.
Sometimes, our laughter came easily, and it all almost felt normal. But other times, it was self-conscious and awkward.
“We need to go back to doing things separately. We can’t ‘play house’ anymore.”
“I hope that one day my son will look back on this time and realise that his parents did a great thing for him.”
My ex’s sharp words stung like a slap across the face. I had asked him if he wanted to go to a cottage with me and our son for a few days, after what had felt like a period of relative calm.
We avoided each other that night. Finally, I allowed his rebuke to sink in: We were not a family, not even a strange one.
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Ontario entered Stage 2 of lockdown in June. In July, Stage 3 began. The initial panic of the pandemic started to subside, and my ex packed up his bags for the second time in our lives.
We had lived through pain, tears, screaming matches, recycling, diapers, laughter, music and, yes, love for 28 years. Then he left. Then he came back. And after three months of infection rates, Zoom calls, online math quizzes and dog walks, he was leaving again.
This time, I was okay when he exited my life. I was whole. I can’t say how he felt, but I imagine his mood was a little bit lighter and that he enjoyed his own company a little bit more. I hope that one day my son will look back on this time and realise that his parents did a great thing for him, something my parents, many parents, would not have done.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-19--London Should Face Fresh Lockdown Curbs As Early As Monday, Mayor Sadiq Khan Warns Ministers

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London Mayor Sadiq Khan has warned Boris Johnson that the capital needs fresh Covid restrictions as early as Monday if it is to avoid a big spike in the spread of the virus.
Khan is also preparing to urge the public to work from home if they can do so, in a switch back to the message used by the government at the height of the lockdown.
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New modelling shown to the Mayor suggests that London is no longer two weeks behind hotspots like the north east and greater Manchester, but is instead “two or three days behind”, insiders told HuffPost UK.
Khan is pushing for similar curbs, including 10pm curfews on pubs and a ban on mixing of households, in a desperate bid to impose a firebreak in the spread of Covid.
A Mayoral source said: “It’s clear that cases in London are only moving in one direction, we are now just days behind hotspots in the North West and North East.
“We can’t afford more delay. Introducing new measures now will help slow the spread of the virus and potentially prevent the need for a fuller lockdown like we saw in March, which could seriously damage the economy once again.”
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The ‘work from home’ message would be a big shift away from No.10′s own stress just a few weeks ago, when the PM urged workers to go to the office if they could.
However, many in the civil service as well as big banks and other corporate firms in London have seen staff continue to work remotely.
New restrictions, already in place in greater Manchester and some regions, were extended to Lancashire and the north East in recent days.
Khan is worried about the rapidly changing situation in the city. Whereas data from a few days ago indicated London was two weeks behind hotspots in the north East and North West, new modelling indicates the city may now only be two or three days behind.
On Sunday, Matt Hancock said he had spoken with Khan over the weekend about what action is needed in the capital.
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Asked if London office employees could be advised to work from home from some point next week, Hancock told Times Radio: “Well, I wouldn’t rule it out.”
The UK recorded 4,422 new daily cases on Saturday and 27 deaths, another sign that the pandemic was beginning to increase its momentum across the country.
Friday was the first time the daily total of positive tests had exceeded 4,000 since 8 May.
Johnson said on Friday that the UK is “now seeing a second wave” of Covid-19, adding: “It’s been inevitable we’d see it in this country.”
He said he did not “want to go into bigger lockdown measures” but that tighter social distancing rules might be necessary.
Within hours, Khan was already warning more urgency was needed.
“I am of the firm view that we should not wait, as happened six months ago, for this virus to again spiral out of control before taking action,” he said.
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“The best thing for both public health and the economy is new restrictions imposed early, rather than a full lockdown when it’s too late – but the government must ensure there is a fully functioning testing system.”
Professor Neil Ferguson - whose modelling led to the government ordering the national lockdown in March – said on Saturday that said a second lockdown might be needed “sooner rather than later”
He warned the country is facing a “perfect storm” following the easing of controls over the summer.
The UK introduced a new ‘Rule of Six’ restricting indoor and outdoor gatherings to six people, but it appears not to have had any impact on stemming the spread of the virus.
The government is looking at a temporary two-week “circuit break”, with new controls across England in an attempt to break the chain of transmission and prevent a new spike in the disease.
The move could see hospitality and leisure venues forced to close their doors again. Although the break has been proposed by some to coincide with the October half-term for schools, others suggest much greater urgency is needed.
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Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner called for the government to hold an emergency Cobra meeting to look afresh at the science and improve its public messaging so “people can do the right thing”.
“If the government are able to do that, we will back them,” she told the BBC.
Rayner also said it had been “shocking” to see how “monumentally” the government’s test and trace system had failed.
On the eve of Labour’s online ‘Connect’ event that has replaced the annual conference, Keir Starmer told the Sunday Mirror that the PM had to act quickly to get infections under control so that “Christmas is not lost” for millions.
“The PM isn’t up to the job. What people have seen for weeks and months is a pattern of refusing to acknowledge a problem exists, then doing a U-turn, and finally shifting the blame on to someone else,” he said.
In a speech to the conference, Khan will say: “Labour is now the party of competence. We’ve made the right calls at the right time throughout this crisis - telling the Government what they needed to do. If only they’d listened.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-19--Kevin Clarke: London Mural Unveiled Commemorating Black Man Who Died In Police Custody

Adam Pugh
A mural of a Black man who died in police custody has been painted opposite a south London police station.
Local residents gathered at Lewisham Gateway Project to furnish hoardings with the commemorative piece which was painted by acclaimed street artist Carleen De Sözer.
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The initiative was organised by anti-racism campaigners Adam Pugh and Sallie Foyeh who both live in the area.
Kevin Clarke, 35, told officers “I can’t breathe” as officers placed him into two sets of handcuffs but was “ignored” and then lost consciousness as he was taken to an ambulance, an inquest into his death heard on Monday.
He had paranoid schizophrenia and was living at the Jigsaw Project, a residential support service, up until his death on 9 March 2018.
Deborah Coles, executive director at human rights charity INQUEST, said the mural is a “really beautiful way of talking about important social and racial justice issues”.
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“I think what they’re doing is really important; it’s about recognising a life lived but also showing people, through art, that Black people die at the hands of people in the UK. It’s important that debate continues and what a good way to continue it,” Coles told HuffPost UK.
“You see Kevin at various stages of his life – from childhood to adulthood – and an inquest is going on about how he lost his life at the hands of police officers.”
Adam Pugh
INQUEST has been supporting Clarke’s family during inquest at Southwark Coroners Court.
“It’s a really beautiful way of talking about important social and racial justice issues – and it’s to the credit of everyone involved in this project that they’ve done this,” Coles added.
“Especially at a time when the family are going through a heartbreaking and really emotionally difficult process of listening at an inquest to how Kevin died. So this is also for them.”
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Wendy Clarke, Kevin's mother, and his sister Tellecia Adam Pugh
Wendy Clarke, Kevin’s mother, was overwhelmed with emotion over the mural and said she’s speechless.
″It means a lot to us, as a family, and the mural will bring about a sense of awareness. There’s too many deaths in police custody and not many people realise the pain and hurt this causes families.
“I’m just grateful to everyone who’s been involved with painting this. I’m also happy that it’s right in front of the police station, so they can see it. It’s a beautiful painting – I don’t have words.”
A Go Fund Me campaign which raised proceeds towards the mural described Clarke as an active member of the Lewisham community with aspirations to become a football coach.
“Kevin was passionate about helping and supporting many young people in his local area, particularly through sport,” the page read.
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Kevin Clarke, 35, who died after he was restrained by Metropolitan Police officers in Lewisham, South London, on 9 March 2018. PA
The move has been strongly opposed by mammoth housing development company Balfour Beatty, HuffPost UK understands.
The organisation recently acquired Lewisham Gateway Project in a multimillion pound deal and is building luxury apartments therein.
A spokesperson for Balfour Beatty told HuffPost UK: “Working alongside a number of local artists, we have dedicated the north-facing hoarding surrounding Lewisham Gateway into a temporary art installation, as agreed with the local council.
“We have been made aware that unapproved artwork has appeared on another section of hoarding after the site closed on Friday.
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“Whilst we will not be painting over this piece of artwork, we would like to take this opportunity to state that the installation is now complete and we are therefore not able to accommodate any further additions to either the installation or the surrounding hoardings.”
Clarke would have celebrated his 38th birthday next Sunday.
The 35-year-old was in a mental health crisis when he was detained and handcuffed by the police officers in a school playing field.
Pc Lee Pidgeon told the inquest that Clarke had begun to get “a bit fidgety” and the use of handcuffs to restrain him was appropriate as he was showing signs of acute behavioural disorder (ABD).
Officers placed Clarke in two sets of handcuffs – allegedly due to his size – and in the footage he could be heard groaning, saying “I can’t breathe” and “I’m going to die”.
Kevin Clarke mural Adam Pugh
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Pc Pidgeon said he had not heard what Clarke said at the time but admitted that in the footage his speech “seems quite clear (and) comprehensible”.
When asked by coroner Andrew Harris why Clarke was “ignored” by the officers in attendance, Pc Pidgeon replied “I cannot answer that, sir, I don’t know.”
Black people are subject to 16% of use of force by police, despite accounting for just 3% of the population.
Further data also shows that the proportion of deaths in police custody of people from Black and minority ethnic groups where restraint is a feature is over two times greater than in other deaths in custody.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-19--Coronavirus Sceptics And Anti-Vaxxers Told To Disperse Or Face Arrest In Police Clash

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Protestors at a rally opposing restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of coronavirus and against the idea of a vaccine clashed with police and were ordered to disperse or face arrest.
The anti-vaccination and anti-lockdown demonstration took place at London’s Trafalgar Square on Saturday afternoon despite the government ban on all social gatherings of more than six people in a bid to tackle the rising Covid-19 cases.
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Metropolitan Police reported that those attending the event were “putting themselves and others at risk” and that some had been “hostile” and “violent” towards police officers who attempted to: “explain, engage and encourage them to leave.”
“This, coupled with pockets of hostility and outbreaks of violence towards officers, means we will now be taking enforcement action to disperse those who remain in the area.Those who remain may get arrested.
“It is important to remember that we are still in the middle of a global pandemic, and the changes have been introduced to help control the spread of the virus, keep everybody safe and save lives.
“We encourage those in attendance to leave the area immediately.”
Demonstrators at an anti-vax protest in London's Trafalgar Square. PA
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Police are encouraging protesters in #TrafalgarSquare this afternoon to leave immediately. Officers will take enforcement action to disperse those who remain in the area. https://t.co/qGWE65Ai7m — MPS Events (@MetPoliceEvents) September 19, 2020
A University College Dublin professor told the anti-vax rally the coronavirus vaccine will “make people sick”.
Professor Dolores Cahill told the crowd: “We want freedom, truth and love.
“I know that vaccines make people sick, you should not trust the government, the doctors and the media;they are lying about the Covid-19 vaccine.
“Vaccines have not been safety-tested, they tell you when you take a vaccine you’ll get a little bit of swelling, is that true? No.
“You can get multiple sclerosis and allergies, when I talk to parents, there are 12 known diseases you can get.
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“If you’re a parent, auntie, grandparent, cousin or neighbour, we’re here to say the truth will come out.”
Scuffles broke out between demonstrators and police. Metropolitan Police officers moved in on the protesters as they congregated near Nelson’s column.
The protesters formed human blockades opposite the officers to stop them from making arrests.
Police presence among demonstrators during an anti-vax protest in London's Trafalgar Square. PA
The ‘Resist And Act For Freedom’ rally saw scores of people gather holding banners and chanting “freedom”.
Organisers sold t-shirts bearing 5G conspiracy theories and advocating the legalisation of cannabis as a range of speeches were made to the crowd.
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One protester held a banner calling for the government’s Sage scientific advisers to be sacked, while another’s declared Covid-19 to be a “hoax”.
Addressing the crowd to huge cheers, organiser Kate Shemirani said: “We are the resistance.”
Dozens of Metropolitan Police officers, including some on horseback, later attempted to break up the gathering in Trafalgar Square.
Traffic was brought to a halt as protesters erected a blockade in a bid to prevent officers from making arrests.
Police talk to demonstrators during an anti-vax protest in London's Trafalgar Square. PA
One protester hit a London taxi after the driver beeped in frustration. The protester then appeared to spit through the window at the driver.
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Another protester’s large dog escaped from its lead and ran around near the National Gallery.
Police then moved in for a third time to try to shut down the rally protesters. Shortly after 4pm on Saturday, officers wearing riot gear closed in on the campaigners from both sides of The National Gallery.
The protesters then formed a huge blockade of hundreds of people, before some began throwing bottles at the officers. Others sat down to block their path.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-19--Holidaymaker Who Went On Pub Crawl Blamed For Bolton’s Coronavirus Spike

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A rule-breaking Bolton man who went on a pub crawl instead of self isolating after returning from holiday is partly to blame for the town’s “extreme spike” in coronavirus cases, the council leader has said.
David Greenhalgh, Bolton council leader, says the man went on holiday and went out drinking almost immediately after returning home to Bolton – even though he was supposed to be quarantining.
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Greenhalgh told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme that high rate of Covid-19 cases had been linked back to pubs and a “cohort of people” who refused to follow the guidance.
“We had an extreme spike where we went from 12 cases per 100,000 and in less than three weeks we were up at 212 cases.” he said.
BOLTON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 17: People walk past an electronic sign displaying health advice about COVID-19 on September 17, 2020 in Bolton, England. Fears about rising infection rates among younger people across the Uk has forced the government into tighter lockdown restrictions, particularly in the North of England. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) Christopher Furlong via Getty Images
This led to Bolton having the highest infection rate in England and stricter restrictions were imposed to try to curb the soaring cases.
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“We had somebody who did not adhere to quarantine, did not stay the 14 days, literally went on a pub crawl with a number of mates,” said Greenhalgh.
“From that incident which took place over a weekend – they visited a number of premises -– led to a large number of individual transmissions from that one person which you can imagine then is like holding back the tide because he then became symptomatic two days after they had all gone on this pub crawl.
“That is four or five days where all the people he was in contact with have been going about their normal day-to-day business.”
The news of the rule-breaker has angered many people on social media – but others have questioned the rise being blamed on the actions of one person.
The dickheads in Bolton who went on a pub crawl after catching Covid, I hope he has to pay for the Lockdown. If he has no money, he should be made to work for nothing and then stoned to death by people suffering because of his stupidness. — A Dude (@ADude99695413) September 19, 2020
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The selfish shit stain on society who went in a pub crawl instead of self isolating should be identified to the public, assuming he had a job his boss needs to know the type of human sewage he employs, charged with assault, GBH & if anyone in Bolton dies in 2nd wave manslaughter — Emma.Watching.History (@SpectatorEmma) September 19, 2020
@lordfarmer Talking about Covidiots, have you heard about the lad in Bolton? Went on holiday, came back & didn't self isolate as he was meant to, went on a pub crawl & is now responsible for over 200+ positive test results & is being blamed for the reason Bolton is so high 🤦♂ — Jacko - 20/21 - Dare 2 Dream this year's the 1 (@Pnejacko) September 19, 2020
i have never been one for vigilantism, shaming etc but the twat who came back off holiday, didnt isolate but chose to go on a pub crawl with friends in Bolton ..which the council leader says has led directly to the town having UK's biggest outbreak ..deserves some attention! — kevin mousley (@kevinmousley) September 19, 2020
Evidently a guy from Bolton came back from abroad, tested positive for Covid, was told to isolate, went on a pub crawl. Now Bolton's in lockdown. As the guy is presumably known, has he been punished? — Linda. (@SE25A) September 19, 2020
If, as a Bolton Councilor claims, someone who returned from holiday did not isolate but went on a pub crawl with mates. Hope the Councillor has a name and identifies the offender. Maybe even inform the Police with details. — Brian Reynard (@pbr843) September 19, 2020
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Absolutely howling at the fact they are trying to pin the blame on one person from Bolton going on a pub crawl after coming back from holiday and not quarantining. Anything to make the Bolton lockdown seem justifiable. — AyupMeDuck (@Ayup_Me_Duck) September 19, 2020
Bolton is under tougher coronavirus measures than most of England, with hospitality venues only allowed to operate as takeaways and ordered to shut by 10pm.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-19--Outpouring Of Grief As America Mourns 'Hero' And 'Titan' Ruth Bader Ginsburg

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There was an outpouring of grief as news broke of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death on Friday following a decades-long battle with cancer.
Admirers from both sides of the political aisle paid tribute to the 87-year-old Supreme Court justice and women’s rights crusader on social media.
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They remembered her wisdom, her resilience and her unwavering dedication to fighting for freedom and equality for all. Former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg referred to her as a “titan of justice.” Veteran journalist Dan Rather said she was an “American hero, in every sense.”
“Justice Ginsburg paved the way for so many women, including me,” former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a tweet. “There will never be another like her.” Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, said “Ginsburg’s life and landmark opinions moved us closer to a more perfect union.”
Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris described her as “a relentless defender of justice in our country and a legal mind for the ages.”
We have lost one of the most extraordinary Justices ever to serve on the Supreme Court. Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life and landmark opinions moved us closer to a more perfect union. And her powerful dissents reminded us that we walk away from our Constitution’s promise at our peril. pic.twitter.com/dDECiBxae6 — Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) September 19, 2020
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Justice Ginsburg paved the way for so many women, including me. There will never be another like her. Thank you RBG. — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 19, 2020
"Laura and I join our fellow Americans in mourning the loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She dedicated many of her 87 remarkable years to the pursuit of justice and equality, and she inspired more than one generation of women and girls." Read full statement: https://t.co/qNGbgc1ZMz — George W. Bush Presidential Center (@TheBushCenter) September 19, 2020
Fmr. President Carter on the death of Justice Ginsburg: "A powerful legal mind and a staunch advocate for gender equality, she has been a beacon of justice during her long and remarkable career. I was proud to have appointed her to the U.S. Court of Appeals in 1980." pic.twitter.com/n0H3B6k4yT — NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) September 19, 2020
Tonight we mourn, we honor, and we pray for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her family. But we also recommit to fight for her legacy.
Doug and I send our heartfelt prayers to Jane and James, and the entire Ginsburg family, particularly on this holy day of Rosh Hashanah. pic.twitter.com/SNyqZCznfv — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 19, 2020
Tonight, the flags are flying at half staff over the Capitol to honor the patriotism of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Every woman and girl, and therefore every family, in America has benefitted from her brilliance. — Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) September 19, 2020
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The passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a tremendous loss to our country. She was an extraordinary champion of justice and equal rights, and will be remembered as one of the great justices in modern American history. — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) September 19, 2020
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a trailblazer who served the Supreme Court—and the country—faithfully for 27 years. My prayers go out to her family during this time. — Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) September 19, 2020
America lost a giant. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was shunned from courtrooms when she began her career because she was a woman.
But she persisted, blazing a trail for millions of women and others who had been excluded or oppressed.
RBG is a lioness of the law. She is irreplaceable. — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) September 19, 2020
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a titan of justice. Her jurisprudence expanded the rights of all Americans, shaping our lives for the better. And her example now shines within the history of our country, there to inspire generations. pic.twitter.com/GffcMQivDx — Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) September 18, 2020
I am so, so saddened by the news that Ruth Bader Ginsburg has passed. Justice Ginsburg was a trailblazer and an extraordinary jurist who devoted her life to advancing the causes of equality and justice. We are in her debt.
May her memory be a blessing to us all. — Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) September 19, 2020
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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a credit to the Court.
I disagreed with many of her decisions but they were all well reasoned and well argued.
She was a close friend of her ideological opposite, Justice Scalia.
They both loved opera, law and the U.S.A.
May She Rest In Peace — Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) September 18, 2020
Ruthie was my friend and I will miss her terribly. The t-shirts simply labeled “RBG” made her notorious. But it was her wit, her tenaciousness, and her skill as a jurist that made her an icon. — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) September 19, 2020
As a young mom heading off to Rutgers law school, I saw so few examples of female lawyers or law professors. But Ruthie blazed the trail. I’m forever grateful for her example — to me, and to millions of young women who saw her as a role model. — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) September 19, 2020
Later, Ruthie’s groundbreaking work as a legal advocate for women led to a distinguished career as a federal judge and a Supreme Court Justice. Her lifelong dedication to fighting for justice for everyone, and her love for our nation, will be sorely missed. — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) September 19, 2020
With voting already underway for the 2020 elections, Ruthie’s “most fervent wish” was for her replacement not to be named “until a new president is installed.” We must honor her wish. — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) September 19, 2020
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Ruth Bader Ginsburg lived an extraordinary life. She fought to ensure equal protection in our laws, fearlessly dissented and defended, and was a powerful role model for us all. I'm devastated to hear of her passing.
Thank you, Justice Ginsburg. Rest in power. pic.twitter.com/QZeSzuIPrX — Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) September 19, 2020
RBG was a seminal legal figure. If she never served a day on the Court she would still have been considered a giant. Ruth Bader Ginsburg shaped the law and in doing so changed this nation. Hers was a consequential life well led. We are all in her debt. — Eric Holder (@EricHolder) September 19, 2020
This is devastating, an incalculable loss. We owe so much to RBG. Rest in Power Ruth Bader Ginsburg. #RIPRBG — Megan Rapinoe (@mPinoe) September 19, 2020
I don’t know about you, but I’m finding it hard to balance the need to grieve and the urge to fight in this sad moment — Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) September 19, 2020
So sorry for Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s family and for our country. She was a fighter and she was firmly on the side of justice. I hope her example and her legacy can inspire us all in the fight of our lives. RIP RBG. — Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) September 18, 2020
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My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Ruth Bader Ginsburg tonight. She leaves a legacy of thoughtful public service, a dedication to the law, and a life of great accomplishment. May she Rest In Peace. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) September 19, 2020
This is a painfully tragic loss for our nation. Justice Ginsburg’s profound impact on the country’s justice system is unparalleled as a leader who shined light and hope when we needed it most. It is now our turn to carry her fight. Rest In Power, RBG. pic.twitter.com/MpqjTi1p1l — Reese Witherspoon (@ReeseW) September 19, 2020
My heart is broken. RBG, we did not deserve you. — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) September 18, 2020
I'm at a complete loss.
Before fear sets in... thank you RBG for your life of fighting for our most vulnerable, for championing true equality for all, for your resiliency, and for inspiring countless women and girls to stand up and take charge.https://t.co/yflVuuPAX1 — Danica Roem (@pwcdanica) September 18, 2020
I want to express my sincere condolences to the family of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a titan & legend on the Supreme Court whose undeniably brilliant legal mind & dedication to justice & equality moved our country forward. We’ve lost a champion tonight, but her legacy lives on. — Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) September 19, 2020
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A shock. A sadness. A great loss. The passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg leaves a hole in a nation already reeling. She is an American hero, in every sense. We can honor her by joining to carry forth her legacy of equality, empathy, and justice. May she Rest in Peace. — Dan Rather (@DanRather) September 18, 2020
A true giant. Thank you for your service RBG 💔 pic.twitter.com/TN2yCcC9A5 — Pharrell Williams (@Pharrell) September 19, 2020
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a torch-bearer and a champion of justice and equality. Her peerless work spanned over half a century, and will always be an inspiration to so many attorneys, activists, and young women who look up to her as their hero, including my own daughters. — Steve Bullock (@GovernorBullock) September 19, 2020
We should honor the life of RBG, American hero, by refusing to give in, refusing to back down, fighting for the civil rights of all people & demanding our leaders honor the the rule of law. This is our fight now. May her memory be for a blessing. — Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) September 18, 2020
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was the kind of scholar and patriot you get excited about explaining to your kids. The kind of person who you say “who knows, one day you could be HER”. I hope you rest well, RBG, you must have been tired from changing the world. — Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) September 19, 2020
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Okay, today we mourn a Lioness Of Light and Righteousness, tomorrow we fight like RBG did for us every single day. She would have it no other way. Rest In Power Justice RGB! We will prevail on your behalf. — Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) September 19, 2020
NY’s heart breaks with the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
During her extraordinary career, this Brooklyn native broke barriers & the letters RBG took on new meaning—as battle cry & inspiration.
Her legal mind & dedication to justice leave an indelible mark on America. — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) September 19, 2020
Joining the whole nation tonight in mourning the loss of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg—a trailblazer, a dedicated public servant, and an inspiration to so many. My prayers are with her family and friends. — Mark Meadows (@MarkMeadows) September 19, 2020
Stunned, devastated, and crushed. Thank you, RBG, for a lifetime of service to building a better America. It’s impossible to express how much we will miss you. — Senator Jeff Merkley (@SenJeffMerkley) September 18, 2020
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg led a remarkable life of consequence. She worked with passion & conviction, inspired many women, offered hope to other cancer survivors.
Prayers to her loved ones.
May She Rest In Peace. — Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) September 19, 2020
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My daughter has a Ruth Bader Ginsburg “action” figure in her room and t-shirt in her wardrobe.
RBG was a hero and one of the most important women ever.
I’m devastated by the loss of RBG and terrified of the vile, horrible ghouls that will rush to replace her.
Fight like hell. pic.twitter.com/lXK9e4YZQM — Brian Altano (@agentbizzle) September 19, 2020
Her rest is earned. It is our turn to fight. — kerry washington (@kerrywashington) September 19, 2020
RIP RBG. Gutted. Sad.
Grateful for all she did. And very very scared. — Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) September 18, 2020
“So that’s the dissenter’s hope: that they are writing not for today but for tomorrow.”
My Shero, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, has died.
To pay tribute, those who believe in equality & freedom must fight for the ideals she championed.
For her.
For us.
For generations to follow. pic.twitter.com/oHJOGSVZIy — Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) September 19, 2020
I liked living in a world with John Lewis and RBG. It made us all better. — Susan Glasser (@sbg1) September 19, 2020
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If there is a God, may She bless and keep RBG. — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (@OfficialJLD) September 18, 2020
NPR: “Do you have any regrets?”
RBG: “I think that I was born under a very bright star.”
We do too. Thank you, Justice Ginsburg. pic.twitter.com/vRk49IyVDq — Ava DuVernay (@ava) September 19, 2020
Rest in power to a feminist icon and American hero! Thank you Ruth Bader Ginsburg for your service, for working well BEYOND retirement until the very end because our country needed you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. https://t.co/cQgTwuafVJ — Janet Mock (@janetmock) September 18, 2020
RBG, you are a super hero🕊♥For those that don’t know, she spent every day fighting for equal rights, women’s rights, LGTBQ+ rights, affordable healthcare AND MORE... Thank you for fighting for all of us. Thank you for being so brave. Your work will never go unappreciated. pic.twitter.com/TFHkANLVhG — Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) September 19, 2020
Regardless of politics, all Americans -specially women- owe #RBG a debt of gratitude for moving the ball forward considerably on equal rights.
She lived her life as an example of perseverance and commitment to service.
Also, 2020 sucks.
I hate this interminably shitty year. — Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) September 19, 2020
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No one fought harder. We must continue in her footsteps. She refused to rest up until the bitter end. Neither should we. RIP the great, great, GREAT RBG. https://t.co/yaHwB59xOq — billy eichner (@billyeichner) September 18, 2020
Just heard the worst news... so sad! Ruth Bader Ginsburg you will live in history forever. May you rest in peace. 😢🙏😢 — Barbra Streisand (@BarbraStreisand) September 19, 2020
Ruth Bader Ginsburg. A model for fairness, rational thought, and progress. She will be missed more than we can yet imagine. — Seth MacFarlane (@SethMacFarlane) September 18, 2020
She was my hero. I never got to meet her.
But I loved her and the way she moved through this world with such strength and grace and conviction.
Rest In Peace, Ruth Bader Ginsberg. #RIPRBG — Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) September 19, 2020
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Today couldn’t be sadder. A brilliant Jurist, Ruth Bader Ginsburg is gone. We must fight not to allow an Impeached Criminal to take her seat. — Rob Reiner (@robreiner) September 18, 2020
YEP. Freak out tonight, pour one out, back at it twice as hard tomorrow. #RBG https://t.co/znb2FYkqWi — Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) September 18, 2020
“A gender line...helps to keep women not on a pedestal, but in a cage."- Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Rest in Justice. pic.twitter.com/zdneRZGASk — Maya Wiley (@mayawiley) September 18, 2020
Her legacy on this country's justice system, unparalleled. Her tenacity for ensuring this country lived up to its promise for equality, unmatched.
The loss of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a giant loss for our country. May she rest in peace. — Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) September 18, 2020
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Thank you, RBG for devoting your life, love and legacy to the rule of law. What a trailblazer in every way. What an immeasurable loss in every way. We will honor you by voting to protect all that you stood for. #rbg #heartbroken — Mandy Moore (@TheMandyMoore) September 19, 2020
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for whom my wife Caroline clerked & who married us 25 years ago, was an extraordinary trailblazer, a fighter and an inspiration
Our thoughts are with her family and all those she lifted. RIP #rbg pic.twitter.com/eQnyi4tC4v — Robert Malley (@Rob_Malley) September 18, 2020
The saddest news for justice & democracy. We have lost RBG, a great role model for women and our protector of equal rights. RIP Ruth Bader Ginsburg. May her spirit protect us from the unprincipled Senate Republicans reversing their Merrick Garland rule. Let's celebrate RBG life. — Jill Wine-Banks (@JillWineBanks) September 18, 2020
Everyone freak out tonight. Everyone get to work tomorrow. Okay?
(fuck)#RBG — Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) September 18, 2020
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“Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.”
Thank you, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. We’ll keep pushing our way into all the places we’ve yet to be invited. — Brie Larson (@brielarson) September 19, 2020
I’m thinking today about Justice Ginsburg’s remark that there will be enough women on the Supreme Court when there are nine. History will remember #RBG as a trailblazer and a voice for liberty and equality. — Rep. Katie Porter (@RepKatiePorter) September 18, 2020
Rest In Peace, Justice Ginsburg. You served your country beautifully. An inspiration for women everywhere, and an example in how to befriend those across the aisle. Justice Scalia is waiting for you, cuing up the opera orchestra. #rbg — Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) September 18, 2020
"Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time." - Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — The Academy (@TheAcademy) September 19, 2020
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-20--Joe Biden Uses Trump's Own Words Against Him In Cheeky New Campaign Ad

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Running a US presidential election is a notoriously expensive affair and a small cohort of people are paid very good sums of money to finely craft the words that are uttered by presidential candidates in the run-up to the big day.
So it was probably a relief to Joe Biden’s accountant when Donald Trump himself handed over the latest campaign ad material free of charge.
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Speaking to supporters at a rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Saturday night, the president said: “If I lose to him I don’t know what I’m gonna do. I will never speak to you again.
“You’ll never see me again.”
This was then turned into an extremely effective and ever-so-cheeky ad by the Biden team who simply repeated the clip with an endorsement from their boss.
I’m Joe Biden and I approve this message. pic.twitter.com/TuRZXPE5xK — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 20, 2020
The simple tweet has been gone down a storm on social media and at the time of writing has been liked 375,000 times.
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At the same rally, Trump falsely declared at a North Carolina rally Saturday that he and his supporters are being honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize.
Trump was nominated for the prize by a far-right Norwegian politician — but it’s highly unlikely he’ll get the award. Adolf Hitler was nominated for the peace prize in 1939 by a member of the Swedish parliament.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-20--Trump Implies At Rally That He's Already Won The Nobel Peace Prize

US President Donald Trump speaks at a "Great American Comeback" rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on September 19, 2020. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI via Getty Images
President Donald Trump falsely declared at a North Carolina rally Saturday that he and his supporters are being honored with the Nobel Peace Prize.
Trump was nominated for the prize by a far-right Norwegian politician — but it’s highly unlikely he’ll get the award. Adolf Hitler was nominated for the peace prize in 1939 by a member of the Swedish parliament.
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“You love your president, and your president gets honoured,” Trump told the crowd in Fayetteville. “I’m not being honoured, you’re being honoured, with the Nobel Peace Prize for Israel, what we did with Israel.”
"Your love your president, and your president gets honored -- because I'm being not honored, you are being honored -- with the Nobel Peace Prize" -- Trump is now talking as though he has actually won a Nobel and not merely been nominated pic.twitter.com/dOCrg3uwJK — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 19, 2020
Trump was nominated for the 2021 prize by Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a member of Norway’s far-right Progress Party.
Tybring-Gjedde has repeatedly expressed anti-Islam and anti-immigration views over the years. He nominated Trump for what he called the president’s efforts to help establish diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
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Tybring-Gjedde and a party colleague also nominated Trump for the 2019 Peace Prize for his talks with North Korea, which went nowhere.
Trump also received two nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize — in 2017 and 2018 — that the Norwegian Nobel Committee determined were both forged. Whoever wrote the nominations — believed to be the same person — assumed the identity of a qualified nominator, Olav Njolstad, secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said at the time. The committee discovered the forgery after reaching out to the legitimate nominator whose name was used.
According to several press reports, an unidentified American nominated Trump for the 2017 prize, saying he should be honored for his “ideology of peace through force.” The same argument appeared in the nomination the following year, Deutsche Welle reported.
Njolstad told The Washington Post that unqualified people are often recommended for the peace prize, but that “as far as I know, this [was] the first example of someone nominating someone by stealing another person’s identity.”
Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.
Presidents Jimmy Carter (2002), Woodrow Wilson (1919) and Theodore Roosevelt (1906) were also awarded the peace prize.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-20--Craig Woodhall Admits Murdering Healthcare Worker Wife In 'Brutal' Machete Attack

PA Media
A 41-year-old man has admitted murdering his estranged wife in a “brutal” machete attack in the street, police said.
Craig Woodhall pleaded guilty to stabbing his 31-year-old wife Victoria multiple times after chasing her from their home on Windsor Crescent, Barnsley, in March, South Yorkshire Police said.
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Detectives said Woodhall dragged his wife to the ground and stabbed her several times with a “Gurkha-style machete knife” before walking away, but returned twice to inflict more violence.
Woodhall, who worked at Rotherham General Hospital, suffered “significant and extensive” injuries in the attack on March 29, which was carried out in front of several people, police said.
Woodhall fled the scene but was arrested a short time later by two officers on Wombwell Lane after a car flashed its headlights at them and the defendant got out of the vehicle.
Victoria Woodhall, 31, was stabbed to death by her husband Craig (South Yorkshire Police/PA) PA Media
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Detective inspector Ben Wood, senior investigating officer, said: “Victoria was subjected to a brutal and sustained attack and there were several people in the immediate vicinity who witnessed this horrifying murder.
“Victoria’s injuries were significant and extensive – she was stabbed with a Gurkha-style machete knife, which our officers recovered from the scene.
“The violence she suffered was so extreme that she had multiple skull fractures, as well as significant injuries to her head, face, neck, arms, hands, shoulders and back.
“CCTV footage recovered as part of our inquiry showed that he dragged Victoria to the ground and stabbed her several times before walking away. He returned a further two times, inflicting more violence.
“While I am pleased that Woodhall has accepted responsibility for his crime, this will do little to comfort Victoria’s family and loved ones. I send my deepest condolences to them as they come to terms with their loss.
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“This was a horrific attack. I know this incident caused a significant deal of distress within the local community, especially among those residents who witnessed the murder. Those eyewitnesses have received support from our partners at Victim Care to process the traumatic impact of this crime.”
Tributes were paid to the operating department practitioner by Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust after her death.
Angela Wood, chief nurse at the trust, said: “She was a cherished and much-loved colleague working in our operating theatres.”
Woodhall pleaded guilty to murder during a hearing at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday.