thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-12--Sharmadean Reid Is Fighting For A Workplace That Actually Works For Mums

Supplied Sharmadean Reid: 'I think to employ working mothers you have to be empathetic to their experience.'
This story is part of Black Ballad’s takeover of HuffPost UK, a week-long series by Black women on parenting, family, and our post-Covid future.
Sitting in her car, with her nine-year-old son Roman in the passenger seat, Sharmadean Reid is refreshingly honest about parenting during a pandemic.
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“I had a massive freakout in the beginning, because Roman was going to private school. It had lockdown a week before all of the other schools, because posh people like to travel and there were two cases in the school, even before they announced that schools needed to close,” says the beauty entrepreneur.
“I am a Black mum who wants her child to do well and be amazing and I was freaking out that he wasn’t learning anything.”
Many parents felt the same pangs of panic when the government announced school closures in March. Yet, like other families dealing with homeschooling, Reid made the best of a situation that none of us had ever experienced.
“After a couple of weeks, I had to really organise,” she says. ”One of the critical things for us was when I went to my office and got a desk for him. I got loads of stationery and re-organised his bedroom, so it was more like a workspace and then we settled down into a really nice rhythm.”
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If you know anything about Sharmadean Reid, you’ll know that this 36-year-old is on a relentless mission to empower women through the beauty industry – and to provide working mums with opportunities to succeed beyond measure. This passion to ensure working mums can fulfil their career ambitions started back in 2009, when she founded her first business, WAH Nails.
Supplied Reid at work: 'A lot of women will eventually give other people jobs.'
Not only did Reid achieve her quest of creating the coolest nail shop in London – with stores in Dalston, east London and in Topshop’s flagship branch at Oxford Circus – WAH Nails also built pop-up nail bars for brands including British Airways, Marc Jacobs and Nike.
And it was through these innovative ventures that she was able to employ numerous single mums. “There are not many jobs you can do when you are a mum that are flexible but beauty is one of them,” she says – adding that many of the jobs that do have flexibility ”tend to not be as gratifying”.
“The thing about working in a salon is that it is really satisfying. You are tapping into your creative brain that you might not get to do when you are running around being mum and there is the social interaction element. I’ve always thought that beauty was a really important part of the future of work and the future of work for women – as it’s paid, flexible, creative and social work.”
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She adds: “The way that it happened with WAH, we just endorsed them. A lot of women who were very enterprising were like: ‘I am going to learn how to do nails because I’ve got a kid and I need to pick him up from school when I want.’
“It kinda turned out that they chose me. We all know what it is like when your babysitter cancels or your child is ill. I think to employ working mothers you have to be empathetic to their experience and that can be hard if you have never been a caregiver before.”
Now, after a decade of revolutionising the beauty industry, Reid has closed all her WAH stores to focus on her current venture, Beautystack, an app that acts as a marketplace for next-generation beauty professionals to sell their services and take bookings directly from clients, all through the power of their imagery.
Founding the app in 2017 while still running WAH, Reid knew, again, that she wanted to make flexible working and her staff’s childcare needs a priority. The tem had moved into a much larger office where it could run events. But Reid saw potential in the space beyond another ping-pong table or games room.
“I thought: wouldn’t it be far more economical to employ a nanny then lose a team member at such a critical juncture of our startup?”
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“My co-founder, who is a Ugandan male had just had a baby, one of my team members – also a father – had just had a baby. I had Roman and I thought: wouldn’t it be far more economical to employ a nanny to help with the childcare then lose a team member at such a critical juncture of our startup? It wasn’t expensive.
“I went to Ikea and got a tent, toys and stuff and hired someone who could be with the kids.
“Some of the biggest companies in the world like Nike had a crèche. It means you can drop the kids off at the office and you work knowing that your child is cared for. Part of the stress as a parent is thinking: ‘Is my child being looked after very well?’”
HuffPost UK Beautystack's 'See It, Like It, Book it' tagline.
While doing her part to help parents in the workforce, the Wolverhampton native strongly believes the government’s approach – or non-existent approach – to supporting new parents is one of the biggest social problems that we face.
“This country has targets and mandates for productivity and economic growth without considering for the first three years of a child’s life, there is no financial support for women – therefore eradicating a huge proportion of the population who could be contributing to the economy if they wanted to,” says Reid.
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“Without making it economically viable for women to return to work easily, the government are taking women out of the workforce for three years.”
“They are removing from the workforce the opportunity for productivity, innovation, research, new entrepreneurs, as a lot of women will eventually give other people jobs.
“Without making it economically viable for women to return to work easily, they are taking women out of the workforce for three years and it’s incredibly hard to return to work. It is very, very short-sighted to think tax breaks are the issue – just give full time childcare from age one for anyone who wants it.”
For her part, Reid admits that parenting during Covid-19 had made her a much more “relaxed” mum. “I would say I’ve gone from micromanaging and feeling very, very guilty to now being: ‘It is what it is – let’s just have some adventures,’” she tells me. But despite her self-assuredness, this confident businesswoman struggled with finding her identity after giving birth to her son.
“In the year he was born, I didn’t know what clothes I should be wearing. I was only 26. I also lost my identity. I wasn’t sure the right way to be, as your body changes so much, but unfortunately as women – and this a horrible fact of the socialisation and sexualisation of women – much of your identity is defined by your physicality.
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“So I was like, if I’ve lost my physical body as I’ve known it, then who am I?”
“In that first year, I was cooking, baking and doing so much mum crafting stuff, you won’t believe it. I was turning into Martha Stewart,” she says with a laugh.
“What did I do to combat this? I took a full time consultancy role at Nike when Roman was one and that forced me to get my identity back and when I mean identity, I mean I got my work ethic back.”
As our interview continues, it’s clear Reid is juggling work and motherhood right in front of me – driving around London with Roman by her side, picking up packages for Beautystack, while continuing to interact with her son throughout.
Looking from the outside in, it’s easy to assume she has this work-life balance thing nailed, but she is quick to reject any praise that suggests she’s a mum who manages everything with ease.
“I hate when people say you’re superwoman because you have a kid and got a business. Like no, no, I only have my child half of the week.”
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“The biggest challenge is energy management. I’m obviously and clearly more tired when I have my son, not because he requires my energy, but because you are double-thinking. You are thinking for yourself and you are thinking for somebody else,” she says.
“I hate the idea when people say you’re superwoman because you have a kid, you got a business. Like no, I only have my child half of the week. Don’t look at me and think that what I do is comparable or achievable, because on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, alternate Saturdays, I don’t have anyone to look after apart from myself. Imagine if you had all of that time, what you could achieve. Imagine your clarity of thought?”
Reid shares parental duties of Roman with his father Greg. “I love and think about my son all the time but when it comes to Wednesday to Saturday I am not in mother mode whatsoever. I fully rate people who just have their kids full time – because if I’m honest, I’m not even sure how I would manage.”
Key to the co-parenting relationship is routine, she says. “By hook or by crook, Greg always has Roman at Wednesday one o’clock to Saturday one o’clock. We are obviously flexible, but I wouldn’t book a holiday on those days. Think how passive aggressive it would be,” she says. “These are the games that people play and all it is is a bid for power.”
She values keeping things more civil and courteous. “If there is a triangle of a relationship between mother, father and child, you absolutely have to sever that connection between mother and father emotionally and don’t let any positive or negative feelings you have towards your former partner affect the consistency of their relationship between their dad or mum.
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“The child to parent relationship always stays intact even if the mother and father one doesn’t; the single thing that has made it successful has been consistency – that is what children need.”
Reid is just as transparent when reflecting on how her own childhood and becoming a mum inspired her to empower other women economically.
“When I was younger, we couldn’t really afford anything I wanted. I remember always thinking when I was a kid I’m going to earn money to buy the things I want,” she tells me.
“At the time I was separating from Roman’s dad, I couldn’t actually afford to move out for ages. I remember thinking I needed to do a couple of styling jobs to get money for a deposit on my flat. Luckily, I could do that and it was big chunks of money I would be paid. That is not typical.
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“In the world we live in today, the freedom of choice, while it is very mental – you mentally have to choose the life you want to live – it is accelerated by having an income and being economically independent to choose the type of life that you want.”
As we edge nearer to the end of our 45-minute call, I’m curious to find out are the things Reid most enjoys doing with Roman. She laughs again.“What I like to do with him (whether he likes to do it is another story) is to go to the Science Museum.”
She turns to Roman and asks him the same question I’ve just asked her.
“What do we enjoy doing together the most?”
Roman answers: “Going to the park.”
“Yes, long walks and I love travelling by ourselves,” she responds. “Staying at new hotels – he loves a hotel. We used to go cinema nearly every Saturday, that was our thing. We watch a movie almost every night, so basically we can be home and just watch a film. Roman adds: “I can only remember a few days where I didn’t watch an entire movie with my mum.”
Soon after this, Reid drops Roman off, leaving just the two of us in conversation. With the interview coming to a close, I want to know how she stays motivated to keep building businesses that put women – and by extension, mothers – at the centre? Her answer is quite simple.
“I really want to prove the point that it’s good business. I think that people bang on and on about the charitable part, the social impact part, but it’s just obvious that it is good to do, that it’s just good business.”
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This article was commissioned for HuffPost UK by Black Ballad, the lifestyle platform that tells stories of human experience through the eyes of Black British women and elevates their voices. If you would like to read more, become a Black Ballad member to get unlimited access to content, events and discounts, and to connect to its community of like-minded women.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-12--Top Chefs Kept Busy During Lockdown. Here's What They Were Up To

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Flocks of people have filled seats in restaurants in the past few weeks to reap the benefits of the government’s Eat Out To Help Out scheme. Many eateries have filled these slots for the whole of August, proving just how much Brits love a meal out – or a great deal.
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Perhaps they’re making up for lost time. For nearly four months of lockdown, restaurants were closed – meaning chefs were out of work, people could no longer eat out, and the four walls of our own kitchens became far too familiar.
Of course, food can be put on tables with or without restaurants – but some have worried the temporary closures may have been detrimental to innovation.
Chefs working at top restaurants are among those who experiment with new ingredients first, authoring recipes that trickle down and influence the food we buy in shops. Supermarkets have their own food development teams, too, but these teams are often inspired by the styles, textures and flavours of dishes that leading chefs create at Michelin-starred eateries and cool independents.
So as restaurants closed for months under lockdown, did it impact food trends and menu development for the better – or worse?
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Monika Linton, founder of the Brindisa Spanish restaurant group in London, tells HuffPost UK that while food trends may have suffered in terms of innovation, “discovering food did not”.
Rather than putting cooking aside, chefs decamped to their home kitchens to innovate, she says, propping up the food innovation ecosystem from there. “You could find chefs on social media giving tips on how to add flavour to simple dishes made with store cupboard foods,” adds Linton. “Recipes using store cupboard ingredients really were the thing.”
The months of restaurant closures gave chefs a “much-needed breather” to absorb and learn new techniques using basic ingredients that were easier to find, says Linton. And chefs agree, telling HuffPost UK they learned more from their time spent at home than they would’ve, perhaps, at work.
They didn’t feel rushed into an endless conveyor belt of recipe creation. Instead, they thought more broadly about food and flavours. “Obviously restaurant trends suffered as restaurants were closed,” says Anthony Garlando, head chef at Aqua Shard. “But the majority of enthusiastic cooks had the time and energy to carry the trends into their homes and create their own styles.”
“Enthusiastic cooks had the time and energy to carry the trends into their homes.” - Anthony Garlando, head chef at Aqua Shard
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Garlando says the surge in news stories about Britons relying on basic cookery ingredients to make sourdough or bake cakes – either because of supply chain issues or because they were unfamiliar with cooking more complicated foods – made him reflect on the benefits of straightforward food himself.
“I learned not to over complicate dishes or ingredients, pick the best products that are in season, treat them correctly and cook them with respect, he says.
This simplicity is reflected in Aqua Shard’s new lunch menu: a fuss-free offering, which he says has had “excellent feedback”. Dishes champion local British produce, such as Isle of Wight tomatoes, and elderflower vinaigrette, he says.
Eran Tibi, head chef at Bala Baya, a Tel Aviv–style eatery, also transformed his home kitchen into a development kitchen. “I’ve written dozens of recipes and menu ideas,” he says. “My partner was lucky I’d say, being my guinea pig!”
Tibi went back to cookbooks he hadn’t opened in years, using the time to think creatively and more deeply about discovering new foods and recipes.
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Alexander Spatari via Getty Images
While chefs have been going back to basics, restaurant attendees have been getting more creative with their home cooking than ever, adds Tibi.
“More people are beginning to understand the labour of love that goes into every dish,” he says. “Change can be scary but often, this sense of fear can be translated into exciting opportunities. Now, more people are cooking, baking, shopping and connecting with ingredients.”
Garlando agrees, and believes many people – not just chefs – will look at lockdown as a period that gave them the chance to develop their own cooking skills and styles.
“Now, more people are cooking, baking, shopping and connecting with ingredients” - Eran Tibi, head chef at Bala Baya
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Does this mean home cooks may influence food trends going forward, as well as chefs and restaurants? Perhaps, says Linton. She believes the surge in home cooks experimenting will eventually be represented on the supermarket shelves. “This need to create interesting food at home was front of mind for the inquisitive home cook and replaced the inspiration restaurants normally provide,” she says.
“All of these influences will lead to more adventurous ingredients becoming available to the consumer,” says Linton. “What used to be chef territory has now moved to the consumer – and [food] ranges, I believe, will have to reflect this over the next year as people continue to cook at home more.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-12--A Tory MP Has Suggested 'Taking Back Calais' As Solution To Migrant Crossings

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A veteran Tory MP has come up with an unusual solution to the rise in migrants crossing the English Channel from France to the mainland UK: take back Calais.
Sir Edward Leigh took to Twitter to air his proposal following a growing panic over more than 4,000 migrants making the dangerous voyage across the world’s busiest shipping lane this year.
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More migrants have arrived in the UK on Wednesday – the ninth day in a row – despite the UK government deploying the navy. Critics have pointed out how the UK government hasn’t resettled any refugees since March.
Now Sir Edward, an MP since 1983, suggested returning the English and French borders to their late-16th century alignment.
He tweeted: “Problem with cross-Channel migrants? We should never have lost Calais in 1588. Why not take it back?”
But perhaps anticipating a backlash, he added: “On second thoughts, cheaper to pay the French a few million to stop (the migrants) on the beaches.”
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Problem with cross-Channel migrants?
We should never have lost Calais in 1558. Why not take it back?
On second thoughts, cheaper to pay the French a few million to stop them on the beaches. pic.twitter.com/lana4SjEbj — Sir Edward Leigh MP (@EdwardLeighMP) August 10, 2020
Calais was lost to France under the rule of Mary I in 1558, after 200 years of English rule.
Sir Edward was probably referring to an unverified report suggesting France is demanding £30m from Britain to address the crossings properly.
In any case, Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner was among those on social media to raise an eyebrow at the Tory grandee’s suggestion.
I often say some Tory MPs live in the past but 1558? “We should never have lost Calais in 1558, Why not take it back”? 😳😳😳😩 https://t.co/tjrvmJ26eP — 🌈 Angela Rayner 🌈 (@AngelaRayner) August 12, 2020
Why stop at Calais? After all Her Majesty is still Duke of Normandy. These Tories really should aim higher! — Andrew Gwynne MP (@GwynneMP) August 12, 2020
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If he actually knew his history (or Wikipedia) he’d know under the Treaty of Troyes the French paid 120,000 crowns to the English for ownership of Calais. But we can’t let facts get in the way of demonising migrants can we!!! — Jason Edge (@jasonedge1) August 12, 2020
I though the whole point of brexit was to stop paying Europe and to take control of our own borders? — 🏳🌈🆃🅸🆉🆁🅷🅴🅰🅳🏳🌈 (@TizRheaD) August 12, 2020
What a legacy to create for yourself with one tweet. — Prof Tanja Bueltmann (@cliodiaspora) August 12, 2020
Meanwhile, the mayor of Calais has said sending the navy into the English Channel to deal with migrant crossings is a “declaration of maritime war”.
Natacha Bouchart said that the British government must take responsibility and called on Priti Patel’s French counterpart to push them on the issue.
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More migrants wearing face masks and orange life-jackets were seen coming into Dover port aboard Border Force vessels on Wednesday.
Border Force and the RNLI continued to be active in the English Channel as they responded to attempted migrant crossings.
It comes after government ministers entered a war of words with ice-cream maker Ben and Jerry’s.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-12--Scottish Government Indicates Eviction Ban To Be Extended To March

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The Scottish government has signalled its intention to extend measures to protect renters from eviction during the coronavirus pandemic until next spring.
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First minister Nicola Sturgeon has said she will work with opposition parties to stop what has been described as a potential “avalanche” of evictions in the coming months.
Recent reports claim 350 applications for eviction have been lodged since the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown, despite emergency legislation passed by the Scottish government increasing the necessary notice period for evictions to six months.
Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said during First Minister’s Questions that tenants could face eviction as soon as the legislation is lifted.
Sturgeon replied that she wants to extend the emergency laws until the end of March 2021.
The UK government has said the ban on evictions in England and Wales will end on August 23. HuffPost UK reported last month that renters are already being served eviction notices despite the government’s promise to protect people from a wave of homelessness.
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On Wednesday, the first minister said: “The government wants to extend that until March 2021 – I can’t say that is definitely happening because it is up to this parliament to vote on that but if my party and his party vote for it then there should be no block on that.”
Shelter Scotland welcomed the possibility of extension on Twitter, saying: “This helps thousands hit hard by the pandemic to keep a roof over their heads. This is a big win for our supporters and us.”
BREAKING: @scotgov has announced its commitment to extending the protections against eviction until March 2021.
This helps thousands hit hard by the pandemic to keep a roof over their heads.
This is a big win for our supporters and us.
Thank you all! 🙌🙌🎉#shelterscotland pic.twitter.com/ZkkKkdDNtr — Shelter Scotland (@shelterscotland) August 12, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-12--University Was Supposed To Be My Escape. The A-Level Algorithm Could Rob Me Of That

University Was Supposed To Be My Escape. The A-Level Algorithm Could Rob Me Of That
Students from disadvantaged schools are worried their A-level results will be lowered by a computer. Schools cancelled exams when the country went into lockdown between March and July. Now, an algorithm used by regulator Ofqual will be used to award grades which considers a school's past performance when determining a pupil's grade. Here we speak to Rhianna Prewett who says that this puts her and other students from underprivileged backgrounds at a disadvantage.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-12--Jamie Lee Curtis Was All Of Us Hunting For Loo Rolls In Pandemic

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Jamie Lee Curtis’ quest to obtain toilet paper became “an obsession” at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the movie star told The Late Late Show host James Corden on Tuesday.
The actor, who has appeared in preparedness commercials for the American Red Cross, explained that usually, “you come to me in an emergency.”
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But the postponement of a filming project in Canada left the actor unprepared.
Her house in California, which she had intended to leave for three months, was running low on bathroom tissue.
“I’m a really calm person and I’m really good in an emergency, but that undid me,” she said. “I just, somehow, I had not prepared for that.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-12--5,000 Deaths Wiped Off England Coronavirus Tally After Government Fixes Overcounting Glitch

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More than 5,000 deaths have been removed from England’s grim coronavirus tally after a data glitch meant the government had over-counted.
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Public Health England (PHE) had been recording Covid-19 deaths where a positive test had occurred at any point, meaning a patient could never be classed as having recovered.
The government will now move to publishing deaths as related to Covid-19 only when the loss of life was within 28 days of diagnosis.
It means that some 5,376 deaths were counted as due to Covid-19 when it should not have been recorded as a factor, the review ordered by health secretary Matt Hancock has found.
The new working total for the UK is 41,329, down from 46,628, the figure published by PHE yesterday. That is despite 77 more deaths – using the new methodology – recorded over the last 24 hours.
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Professor John Newton, director of health improvement at Public Health England, said: “The way we count deaths in people with Covid-19 in England was originally chosen to avoid underestimating deaths caused by the virus in the early stages of the pandemic.
“Our analysis of the long-term impact of the infection now allows us to move to new methods, which will give us crucial information about both recent trends and overall mortality burden due to Covid-19.”
A new set of figures showing the number of deaths that occur within 60 days of a positive test will also be published in England, it added.
Separate figures published by the UK’s statistics agencies show there have been 56,800 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.
Hancock had ordered a review after an Oxford University study unearthed the irregularity in a paper entitled “Why no one can ever recover from Covid-19 in England – a statistical anomaly”.
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Health Secretary Matt Hancock arrives in Downing Street ASSOCIATED PRESS
“It seems that PHE regularly looks for people on the NHS database who have ever tested positive, and simply checks to see if they are still alive or not. PHE does not appear to consider how long ago the Covid test result was, nor whether the person has been successfully treated in hospital and discharged to the community,” it said.
Government sources at the time said the approach essentially meant “you could have been tested positive in February, have no symptoms, then be hit by a bus in July and you’d be recorded as a Covid death”.
The revised working total is still likely to be a significant underestimate, however, as it only includes people who have actually tested positive for the disease. Many who died, particularly in the early stages of the pandemic, had not had a test and Covid-19 was diagnosed based on their symptoms.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-12--How Teachers Feel About Being Told They Don’t Know How To Grade Their Own Pupils

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Teachers say it is “heartbreaking” to watch their personal assessments of students overruled by a “biased” computer algorithm that has disproportionately penalised students from poorer backgrounds.
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The cancellation of exams due to the coronavirus pandemic has meant this year’s A-levels and GCSEs have been determined by standardisation modelling that relied on grades submitted by teachers and moderated them using a pupil’s past exam results – as well as the school’s past exam performance.
Nearly 40% of A-level grade recommendations by teachers were downgraded – and teachers feel the government has sent an explicit message that they can’t be trusted to assess their own students accurately.
“Students are at the heart of our profession. Trust us.”
Vix Lowthion, who teaches A-level history, classics and geology, agrees teachers “are professionals who are experienced at accurately predicting grades”. “I take fairness very seriously,” she told HuffPost UK.
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“I sat down with colleagues and we looked at every student in turn and all their marks throughout the two years, mock results, coursework and how they were performing in the final weeks before lockdown. We did not predict a bunch of A* and A grades, but a fair reflection of how the class were working.
“To see these grades overruled and dismissed, hundreds of miles from our communities and without seeing any written work that these students were capable off, is heartbreaking.”
“The impact of this on our young people’s mental health is going to be witnessed for years to come.”
Lowthian teaches at a school on the Isle of Wight – an area once described as a “ghetto” by a former chair of Ofsted – and was expecting her grades to be marked down when she spoke to HuffPost UK earlier this week. “I will be gutted for my students if they are downgraded by computer modelling. They are talented and confident and have worked really hard.
“They have had all the opportunities taken away from them. The least we can give this bunch of students are fair results based on their hard work and effort.”
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She fears targeting poorer schools will “perpetuate the spiral in terms of funding and quality of teaching” after a decade of “huge” funding cuts to sixth form education.
“Students in deprived areas already have extra obstacles to learning in terms of prior attainment, resources, practical support from home and expectations in school.
“To downgrade results from these schools sends precisely the wrong message to local communities.”
Naomi, who has asked us not to publish her full name, works at a school in a particularly deprived area in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
In the event, most of her students received the grades she had assigned them on Thursday – but schools like hers were more likely to have been downgraded based on their past performance than those in better-off areas, according to Ofqual’s own analysis, which showed 10.4% of students with “low” socio-economic status were knocked below a C grade by the algorithm, compared with 8.3% of the richest students.
Meanwhile the allocation of top grades grew fastest at private schools.
“It’s upsetting and demoralising, but also does inevitably make you feel angry and incensed – not for myself but for our young people who deserved so much more,” she said.
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“Some students are going to feel utterly let down by the system and I don’t blame them. The impact of this on our young people’s mental health is going to be witnessed for years to come.
“What we are essentially saying to our young people is: you cannot live in a deprived area and perform well in your academics.”
Naomi insists her school was “extremely responsible and fair” with allocating its own A-level predictions to their pupils. “We want the students to do well, but teachers know what their students are capable of.
“The fact of the matter is that, as teachers, we care. We go into work early, leave work late, arrange and go on trips, mark work at home late into the night and spend weekends planning lessons. It’s because teachers care that we were honest and responsible in our grading process.”
Other A-level teachers across the UK have told HuffPost UK they feel “undervalued”, “disheartened” and “anxious”. Many felt their profession had been “scapegoated” by politicians and the press since the start of lockdown, and said the government’s recent flip-flopping was “mind-boggling” and “laughable”.
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“It sends a clear message that the government does not trust its teachers,” one said. “Students are at the heart of our profession. We want them to succeed and do well.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-12--What’s Behind the Global Spike In Coronavirus Outbreaks?

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In the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, Greece emerged as a surprising success story. The government’s swift actions to close down the country in February and March helped it avoid the high death tolls that other nations experienced and positioned it well to reopen. The country began lifting lockdown restrictions in early May and started welcoming international travellers again in mid-June, enticing tourists with the promise of a largely coronavirus-free getaway.
Since then, however, the number of coronavirus cases in Greece has risen alarmingly, and scientists say the country is now officially experiencing a second wave. On Sunday, Greece recorded 203 new infections, the highest daily tally since the start of the pandemic.
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Much of the blame has fallen on partygoers packing into beach bars and nightclubs. The government on Monday imposed a late-night curfew on bars and restaurants in popular nightlife destinations, including the islands of Mykonos, Santorini, and Corfu.
“Unfortunately, the transmission of the virus is increasing dangerously,” said Health Minister Vasilis Kikilias. “I call once again on the young and those citizens who do not follow the basic measures of personal protection — masks, hygiene rules, safety distances — to consider their responsibilities towards vulnerable groups, the rest of our fellow citizens and the country.”
Young people have become a convenient scapegoat for rising infections in many parts of the world. In the United Kingdom, the city of Preston was placed on local lockdown last week after a significant rise in cases among people under age 30, which health officials linked to people mixing in pubs and homes.
In response, government officials are telling young people, “Don’t Kill Granny,” to try to reinforce the idea that, even if they don’t have symptoms, they could spread the virus to more vulnerable populations.
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“Young people are inevitably among the brave and the bold. They want to be adventurous and out and about,” Adrian Phillips, chief executive of the Preston City Council, told the BBC. “But we know that they have the virus, are more likely to at the moment. They often have less symptoms, but they do take it back to their household. And the community spread we are seeing, we believe in many cases, are young people taking it home and catching the virus.”
A waiter serves patrons at a bar in Athens, Greece on August 1. Since the country began lifting lockdown restrictions, the number of coronavirus cases has spiked. Costas Baltas / reuters
The story has been similar in other countries as lockdown restrictions have eased. In early May, South Korea scrambled to contain a coronavirus outbreak linked to several nightclubs in Seoul. In Spain, parties and nightclubs have become new coronavirus hotspots. German health officials have warned that people have become careless about social distancing. And in parts of the United States, as well, officials have pointed to parties as a major reason for rising infection rates.
“We’re finding that the social events and gatherings, these parties where people aren’t wearing masks, are our primary source of infection,” Erika Lautenbach, director of the Whatcom County Health Department in Washington state, told NPR.
None of this should come as a huge shock. The coronavirus spreads easily when people spend time in close contact with each other, particularly indoors.
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“Nighttime venues tend to be poorly ventilated, and the volume of the music means you have to speak loudly, which has been documented as a risk factor,” Joan Ramón Villalbí, the spokesperson for the Spanish Public Health Association, told El País.
Individuals may be faulted for flouting official guidelines on social distancing or mask-wearing, or for attending illegal parties and raves. But many countries have also encouraged patrons to return to bars, restaurants and other establishments in the name of reviving the hospitality industry. In such situations — particularly after months spent in lockdown — appeals to moderation can fall on deaf ears.
When pubs reopened in the United Kingdom last month, popular nightlife areas were quickly packed with merrymakers, and John Apter, chairman of the Police Federation, said it was “crystal clear” that drunk people are unable to properly socially distance.
The risk that lifting travel restrictions and reopening businesses could trigger an increase in infections has been known since the beginning — in Greece as well.
“We all knew, both we and our scientists and experts, that with the opening of our borders we would have a partial increase in cases,” Vassilis Kikilias, the health minister, said last month. But “the economy and tourism must survive.”
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Revelers socialize on Old Compton Street in the hospitality and nightlife hotspot of Soho in London on July 18, 2020. NurPhoto via Getty Images
Young people going to parties and bars are hardly the only cause of the coronavirus outbreaks. There are many other situations in which people also spend time in close proximity to each other. Around the world, outbreaks have been linked to senior care homes, meat processing plants, warehouses and distribution centres, public housing and other high-density living arrangements.
In July, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he was “very worried about the employment practices in some factories.”
The situation is similar in Germany and other countries, including the United States, where labourers ― often immigrants or people of colour ― tend to work in dangerous conditions and live together in crowded dormitories or multi-generational housing.
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A boy jumps into the sea from the rocks of Magaluf beach on July 30 in Mallorca, Spain. The area is a popular tourist destination, particularly for British travelers. Clara Margais via Getty Images
Government failures also play a part in the coronavirus resurgence.
A government inquiry into what went wrong with Victoria’s hotel quarantine system is scheduled to begin next week.
New Zealand is also rushing to identify the cause of a new outbreak after four people in one Auckland household tested positive for the virus, the first reported cases of local transmission in the country in 102 days. The reemergence of the virus caused the government to place Auckland, the nation’s largest city, on lockdown, to allow health officials to investigate the source of the outbreak and attempt to limit its spread.
France, too, tightened restrictions on social gatherings and encouraged more widespread use of face masks this week, after the daily tally of new coronavirus cases increased by 785.
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As many as 10,000 people attended a rave in the Cevennes National Park in southern France, August 10. PASCAL GUYOT via Getty Images
Finally, data shows that poor and minority communities in many countries are most at risk from coronavirus — a consequence of systemic racism and economic inequality. In June, an official report from Public Health England found that Black, Asian and minority ethnic, or BAME, people are more likely to die of coronavirus than their white counterparts.
But critics say government officials have been slow to acknowledge the challenges and provide the support these communities need. In the UK and Australia, for example, government officials have been criticised for failing to communicate health and safety guidelines to people for whom English is not their native language.
“I don’t think anyone was expecting a clear scientific explanation instantly as to why there were such high numbers of BAME deaths to coronavirus,” Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of the council at the British Medical Association, told HuffPost UK in June. “But what we were expecting was some practical action to protect those that we know to be at risk.”
“I don’t think the older generation, like my mum’s around 60 but her parents’ generation, would have any access to the internet,” Huong Truong, the daughter of Vietnamese refugees, told HuffPost Australia. “It’s word of mouth and family connections, and younger people like myself letting them know what’s going on or clarifying misinformation that’s been around.”
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It’s not wrong for government officials to remind the public of the need to remain vigilant and act responsibly. In the absence of a vaccine, following official guidance about hand washing, social distancing, the use of face masks, and other safety measures will play a large role in helping to keep infections at bay.
But that guidance has often been poorly communicated to the public, and the failure of some government figures to follow the rules themselves has undermined official measures to contain the coronavirus. In the United Kingdom, for example, researchers identified a “Dominic Cummings effect,” in which the decision of Boris Johnson’s top adviser to travel outside London with his family, in apparent violation of the country’s lockdown restrictions, damaged the public’s trust in the government and may have reduced compliance with lockdown measures.
In the end, drunken partygoers shouldn’t shoulder all the blame for the surge in coronavirus cases. Much of that blame still rests with government officials themselves.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-12--Selling Sunset's Christine Quinn Reveals She's Had Death Threats, But Still Loves Being The Show's '

Selling Sunset's Christine Quinn Reveals She's Had Death Threats, But Still Loves Being The Show's 'Villain'

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Selling Sunset star Christine Quinn has insisted she has no issues with being perceived as the show’s “villain”, despite having received death threats from disgruntled viewers in the past.
Christine has been a part of the Selling Sunset cast since its debut, having worked with the Oppenheim Group even before cameras started rolling on the Netflix reality show, and has been at the centre of plenty of drama across the last three series.
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WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 22: Christine Quinn attends Netflix's "Selling Sunset" Private Viewing Party on March 22, 2019 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images) Rodin Eckenroth via Getty Images
But even if her antics have led some fans to think of her as Selling Sunset’s “villain”, Christine has said this is not a label she has an issue with.
“I guess I am the quote-unquote ‘show villain’,” she told People magazine. “But I love it. I think it’s funny and I think people enjoy it at the end of the day, people that love me really love me. When I’m on camera, I have fun with it.”
She continued: “I understand that I’m being showcased in 100-plus countries across the world, and I have a background in comedy. I love to make people laugh, and my whole goal in life has just been to entertain people and make them feel something.
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“Whether it’s perceived well, I don’t know, but I’m really just being myself. I do have a heart of gold underneath that, and I think sometimes with television, it’s really hard to see all the elements of a human being on a television show.”
The cast of Selling Sunset Netflix
However, in the same interview, she did admit that seeing herself on screen for the first time did initially make her alter her behaviour on set.
Christine recalled: “We definitely were a little more reserved going into season two. I was scared. I was a little scared.
“The first few episodes of season two, the editors were like, ‘Where’s the other Christine? Where’s Christine?’, I’m like, ‘Well, that Christine gets death threats’.”
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“People are so invested in the show, and they see what they see and just think I’m this crazy person,” she added, when pressed on the death threats she’d received. “It’s just unfortunate. People are weird.”
Christine is at the centre of one of series three’s biggest storylines, which saw her finally marrying Christian Richard, although she recently admitted she was less than impressed with her how big day was portrayed on screen.
“I was a little disappointed. It just didn’t really showcase the way that it was,” she claimed.
“The wedding was the best day of my life and it was hard for me to watch it on the television show because that’s not really the way that I remember it.”
Christine continued: “I understand they wanted to get certain storylines in there, but this was actually my day. This was my day, and I was just disappointed in the way it was perceived on camera and translated, unfortunately.
“I’m not going to lie, I was crying when I watched it. I was like ‘This is not my wedding, this is not my wedding’.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-12--Test And Trace Not 'Fit For Purpose, Let Alone World Class', Says NHS Providers Chief

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Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
The government’s coronavirus test and trace system is not yet “fit for purpose, let alone world class”, NHS Providers’ chief executive has said.
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Chris Hopson, whose organisation represents all NHS hospital, mental health, community and ambulance services, said England would face a “big problem” if ministers do not get a grip on the scheme by winter.
He said the service needs to boost the proportion of infected people being brought into the system and giving contact details, and to ensure more people isolate, so the government can stay on top of Covid-19.
Speaking to the all party parliamentary group on coronavirus on Wednesday, Hopson also backed calls for the government to offer financial support to those who are contacted by NHS test and trace and told to self isolate because they have been in contact with someone who is infected.
And he said the service needs to be better at reaching into deprived and Black and ethnic minority (BAME) communities which have seen local outbreaks.
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Boris Johnson has insisted NHS test and trace is “world beating” but figures released last week showed it is still failing to reach thousands of Covid-19 patients and their contacts to ensure they self isolate.
The Department of Health and Social Care statistics showed that, between July 23 and July 29, just 72% of positive cases were contacted by NHS test and trace, which is chaired by Tory peer Dido Harding.
Baroness Dido Harding during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on coronavirus PA
In turn, contact tracers were only able to reach 72% of Covid-19 patients close contacts.
The numbers represent a percentage fall from the previous week, when 81% of positive cases were reached and 76% of their close contacts were reached.
Hopson said an NHS Providers survey due to be published this week will show that many trusts “are not particularly happy and not particularly confident” in the service.
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He told MPs: “When we get to winter, it is clinically very difficult to tell the difference between winter flu and Covid symptoms.
“And key to doing that is to have sufficient testing capacity with at least next day turnaround in order for you to identify whether you are looking at a winter flu patient or whether you are looking at a Covid patient.
“There is huge amounts of work to be done.”
Hopson added: “There’s an awful lot that still needs to be done before we can be confident that we’ve got a fit for purpose, let alone world class, test and trace service in place for winter.”
Hopson suggested that offering people financial help to self isolate if they face losing earnings could help.
“We agree very strongly with those that are arguing that government financial support for those who find it difficult financially to isolate for the required 14 days,” he said.
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“If you really want the isolation to happen you are going to have to boost that support.”
The NHS Providers chief executive also noted that recent local outbreaks “do have a particular demographic profile” and “tend to be areas that tend to be quite deprived, they tend to quite often have high percentages of black and ethnic minority (people), they also tend to be in areas with high population density”.
“One of the things that test and trace, if you talk to directors of public health, they absolutely want it to do, they want the test and trace service to reach more effectively into those communities, some of who to be frank don’t particularly want to interact with the state and are not used to interacting with the state.”
Hopson added: “It’s absolutely not a silver bullet but we absolutely have to develop at pace a fit for purpose testing regime.
“We’re sort of getting there but it’s got to be speeded up and it’s got to be in place by winter.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-12--Oh, It’s Your First Recession? Here’s What You Need To Know

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So it’s official – the UK has entered the deepest recession since records began.
If you’re below a certain age, this might be your first experience of such a financial crisis and you’re probably looking for some reassurance and comfort in these turbulent times.
If that’s the case, then we recommend stopping reading now and watching this video of Mr Mayhem the paddle boarding goat, because recessions are serious business and are generally a bit crap for everyone.
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Is there any good news?
There are a couple of silver linings so let’s start with them before we hit you with all the woe.
Now, despite all the blaring headlines and breaking news alerts, it’s not in the least bit surprising for the reasons explained succinctly here by a chap on Twitter...
People are posting charts of GDP as if it's somehow surprising that the economy dropped off a cliff WHEN ALL THE SHOPS SHUT AND PEOPLE COULDN'T GET TO WORK. — Ian Leslie (@mrianleslie) August 12, 2020
A recession is defined as two successive quarters of decline in gross domestic product (GDP), and GDP is essentially all the money that a country makes by people working and spending.
It will not have escaped your notice that during the lockdown, particularly the first part, working and spending were made incredibly difficult by the fact barely anyone was allowed out of the house.
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So we knew it was coming but that won’t make it any less painful. As chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “I’ve said before that hard times were ahead, and today’s figures confirm that hard times are here.”
You call that good news?
OK, how about this – have a look at this chart...
Our latest GDP estimates for June show that the UK economy is now 17.2% smaller than it was in February before the full impacts of the #coronavirus #COVID19 pandemic hit https://t.co/8FmcVvX6lz pic.twitter.com/Qgh12prPtt — Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) August 12, 2020
Obviously everyone is freaking out over the bit where it falls off a cliff but if you look just after that you’ll see it actually shot back up again a little bit.
What that shows is the economy bounced back by 8.7% in June as lockdown restrictions eased.
So today’s the day. We are now in full knowledge of the low in the economy. Not as bad as first feared. Today isn’t about being in a #recession (we knew that already) it’s that the economy bounced back 8% in June. Which is highly promising. A recovery is underway. — Rob Nunn (@robfnunn) August 12, 2020
Will it keep on going up?
Sorry, but it’s unlikely. The big jump is largely due to the difference in total lockdown versus the beginning of phased reopening. Any further lifting of restrictions is unlikely to open up as much of the economy as the initial opening of shops, bars and restaurants.
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But another point of hope is that we’ve survived recessions before, the last being during the financial of 2008.
Thing is, this one is way worse as these ominous red bars clearly show.
Recession Statista
Jeez.
Yeah, that’s a lot of red.
So how long will it take before we’re back to normal?
No one can really say for sure but experts have warned that Britain faces a “long road ahead” to recovery.
Business groups and economists also cautioned the path of the recovery may not be smooth, given the threat of a second wave and possible further lockdowns, with a jobs crisis also on the horizon as government support measures come to an end.
Melissa Davies, chief economist at research firm Redburn, said: “There is a long road ahead for the UK economy to claw back its pandemic losses, all the while facing deflationary headwinds from large amounts of spare capacity and job losses.
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“As the furlough scheme rolls off, more stimulus will be needed to support household incomes, not least if infection numbers rise in the autumn.”
Samuel Tombs at Pantheon Macroeconomics blamed the government’s slow response to Covid-19 for the depth of the UK’s second-quarter contraction.
He told PA Media: “The long duration of the lockdown in the second quarter, due to the Government’s slow response to Covid-19 in March, followed by its failure to prevent the virus from spreading from hospitals, was at the root of the economy’s under-performance in the second quarter.”
He warned the rebound will “peter out in the autumn” with further lockdowns likely.
He said: “The planned reopening of schools next month… probably will have to be accompanied by a renewed curtailment of economic activity in the services sector.
“Accordingly, we continue to expect GDP to be about 5% below its pre-Covid peak at the end of this year.”
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What does this all mean for me?
It’s all a bit bleak to be honest. Recessions ultimately have an impact on living standards, but the full effect will largely depend on the scale of unemployment and how long it takes for businesses and the jobs market to recover.
Britain’s unemployment rate is expected to jump when the government ends its huge job subsidy programme in October.
So if you have a job there’s an increased chance you could be laid off and if you’re looking for a job then there are fewer to go round and more people going after them.
Last week the Bank of England forecast it would take until the final quarter of 2021 for the economy to regain its previous size, and warned unemployment was likely to rise sharply.
Employers have already shed more than 700,000 jobs since March, according to tax data.
OK I’ll bite, how bad can it get?
Again that’s hard to say but what we really want to avoid is a depression, which is basically a recession but over a period of years and on a global scale.
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The most notable was the aptly titled Great Depression which lasted from from 1929-1939. The US was particularly hard hit and unemployment reached 25%.
It took the Second World War and the huge increase in arms production to pull the US out of the depression which obviously also came with its own downsides.
Can we end on a positive note?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-12--Stonehaven Crash: Three Dead And Six Taken To Hospital After Train Derails In Aberdeenshire

Three people including the driver and conductor have died at the scene of a train derailment in Aberdeenshire amid heavy rain and flooding.
British Transport Police said another six people had been taken to hospital after the incident in Stonehaven, though their injuries are not believed to be serious.
In a statement, BTP said that although formal identification had not yet taken place, the driver of the train was believed to be among those who had died.
Meanwhile, the RMT union, which represents rail workers, said that the train’s conductor was another victim.
ScotRail confirmed the third casualty was a passenger on its 6.38am Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street service.
Chief superintendent Eddie Wylie said: “I would like to reassure the public that this was not a busy service, and from CCTV enquiries and witness statements we believe all passengers have been accounted for.
“However, once the area has been made safe then a full and thorough search will be conducted, which is likely to take some time.”
The news comes after the Scottish government declared a “major incident”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-13--The Crown Has Cast Its New Prince Philip, Jonathan Pryce

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Oscar-nominated actor Jonathan Pryce will play the role of Prince Philip in the final two series of The Crown.
Deadline was the first to report that Jonathan will take over the role from Tobias Menzies in the fifth and sixth series of the hit Netflix drama.
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The Duke Of Edinburgh was previously played by Matt Smith in the first two series of The Crown.
Jonathan will be acting in the show alongside Imelda Staunton, who is succeeding Olivia Colman in the lead role of Queen Elizabeth II.
Jonathan Pryce at this year' Oscars Barcroft Media via Getty Images
Jonathan was nominated for his first Academy Award in 2020, for his portrayal of Pope Francis in another Netflix offering, The Two Popes, which he said has inspired him to work with the streaming giant once again.
“I am delighted to be working with Netflix again,” he said. “The positive experience I had making The Two Popes has given me the confidence to tackle the daunting prospect of portraying Prince Philip.
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“To be doing so with Peter Morgan in the company of Imelda and Lesley [Manville, who is playing Princess Margaret] will be a joy.”
Jonathan Pryce will play Prince Philip in the final two seasons of The Crown (Seasons 5 and 6), alongside Imelda Staunton and Lesley Manville. pic.twitter.com/zI7NotOfc4 — The Crown (@TheCrownNetflix) August 13, 2020
Other on-screen credits from Jonathan’s lengthy career in film include the big-screen version of the musical Evita, the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies and the drama The Wife, in which he appeared opposite Glenn Close.
He also played The High Sparrow in two series of Game Of Thrones.
Tobias Menzies as Prince Philip in The Crown Sophie Mutevelian /Netflix
Netflix had always planned for The Crown to run for a total of six series, with three different actors taking on the lead role of Queen Elizabeth II throughout that time.
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However, when Imelda was confirmed as the successor to the drama’s throne, it was announced that they were cutting this short and ending at the fifth run.
Fortunately for fans, this is a decision that has since been reversed, with creator Peter Jackson saying: “As we started to discuss the storylines for series five, it soon became clear that in order to do justice to the richness and complexity of the story we should go back to the original plan and do six seasons.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-13--Woman Told To Cover Up In A Supermarket Asks: What About Topless Men?

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You’re reading our series Summer’s Not Cancelled, celebrating summer in this new normal. From rediscovering nature and cherishing time with friends and family to virtual festivals and unforgettable staycations – summer’s still here, it’s just different.
A shopper has accused Sainsbury’s of “sexism” after she was asked to pull down her T-shirt to cover her hot pants during the 34ºC heatwave, despite the fact she’d seen “topless men in supermarkets” all week.
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Lauren O’Connor, 33, based in Staines, Surrey, says she had popped into her local store for ice lollies when a member of staff approached her to say an elderly male customer had commented on her outfit.
“A sales assistant approached me and said: ‘I think you need to pull your T-shirt down, as a gentleman doesn’t know if you’re wearing anything underneath,’” O’Connor tells HuffPost UK.
“I think the staff member should have kept the male’s comments to herself. I am aware she cannot control customers’ opinions, but she had control over whether to speak to me or not.”
Lauren O’Connor The outfit Lauren O’Connor was wearing.
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O’Connor was confused what the shop assistant was trying to achieve in passing on the comments, and speculates that “internalised misogyny” may have been at play.
“I have definitely seen topless men in supermarkets this week,” she says, although she didn’t state whether she saw these men in Sainsbury’s.
“It’s double standards when men are allowed to walk around topless in supermarkets, and crazy that supermarkets can’t police people not wearing masks, but I can’t wear hot pants in the summer heat. It’s absolute lunacy.”
The incident was embarrassing, as well as frustrating, says O’Connor, who adds that she felt her cheeks turn red under her face mask.
“I was absolutely mortified,” she says. “Especially as I was minding my own business looking at hair dyes when approached. My tummy was in knots over being told that. I was absolutely boiling in the heat and was dressed for function not fashion. I felt weird afterwards and definitely self-conscious.”
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Lauren O’Connor Lauren O’Connor
At a “loss for words” for what to reply to the shop assistant, O’Connor replied “tell him to fuck off” and quickly finished her shopping.
O’Connor shared a photo of her outfit on Twitter and while some commented to say the shorts were too short, others pointed out that no one should be policing women’s bodies.
Unbelievable that someone would get so offended by something so petty when there is so many other things in the World we should actually give a s**t about. — Biggerpicture (@Biggerpicture9) August 13, 2020
Please tell me you pulled your shirt all the way down from neckline to waist. pic.twitter.com/rn9QbUe1Q0 — Dr Laura Helen Marks 🐢 (@DrRambette) August 12, 2020
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Wear whatever you want! It's your body and if I'm not mistaken you can do and wear whatever the f**k you want! 😘💪🏻 — Mel Woods (@Mwoods_92) August 13, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-13--Victoria Beckham Can't Resist Poking Fun At Husband David's Throwback Photo-Shoot On Instagram

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Victoria Beckham had a bit of fun at husband David’s expense after he recreated one of his classic photo-shoots on Instagram.
The former Spice Girls star was straight in the comments when David posted side-by-side photos on his feed, showing him strike a pose in the same style as an Annie Leibovitz photo-shoot he took part in back in 2005.
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This time around, though, David revealed it was his aspiring photographer son Brooklyn behind the camera, rather than photographer to the stars Annie Leibovitz.
“Same look, few more grey hairs 15 years on,” David joked. “Having some fun with @BrooklynBeckham recreating this shot from 15 years ago by the legendary @annieleibovitz.”
Victoria quickly added a sarcastic comment, writing, alongside a string of emojis: “This is the best post I have ever seen!!! It is EVERYTHING.”
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David then fired back: “Whatever @victoriabeckham. Better than your golden hour shot that I didn’t know u were posting.”
David and Victoria Beckham in 2018 Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP
The couple celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary last month, with each of them treating fans to a string of candid throwback photos to mark the occasion.
“About 23 years ago I was sat in a room with Gary Neville and the Spice Girls were on the TV and I turned around to him and said ‘ohhhh I like that one in the little black catsuit’,” David wrote, referring to Victoria’s appearance in the Say You’ll Be There music video.
“Who would have thought that all these years later we are celebrating 21 years of marriage and have 4 of the most beautiful and perfect kids. Thank you & Happy Anniversary, I Love You.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-13--Isle of Wight And Newham To Trial New Coronavirus Contact Tracing App

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Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Residents of the Isle of Wight, the London borough Newham, and NHS volunteer responders across England will be part of a new contact tracing app trial, the Department for Health and Social Care has said.
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The app will include alerts based on postcode, QR check-in at venues, a symptom checker and a way to book tests, using Google and Apple-developed technology.
Trials will start from Thursday on the Isle of Wight and with NHS volunteer responders across England, followed shortly by people in Newham - one of the most diverse and densely populated communities in Europe.
The trial follows the government ditching efforts to develop its own technology in June amid accuracy issues and concerns about privacy.
Health secretary Matt Hancock had suggested it would be available in mid-May.
The second version adopts an Apple and Google-developed system – already used in several countries across the world – which handles data in a more privacy-friendly manner, using bluetooth to keep an anonymous log of people a user has been close to that they may not know, such as a stranger on a bus.
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It will log the time and distance a user has spent near to anyone, even if they don’t know them, so it can alert them if necessary if that person later tests positive for Covid-19.
Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said it was “essential” to “get the country moving again so people can get back to doing what they love”.
“Our statistics show more people with symptoms are getting tested and NHS Test and Trace reaches the vast majority of people testing positive, and their contacts.”
He added: “We’ve worked with tech companies, international partners, privacy and medical experts to develop an app that is simple to use, secure and will help keep the country safe.”
Dido Harding, who runs the NHS Test and Trace programme, said while there was “no silver bullet” when it came to tackling coronavirus the app was a “great step forward”.
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The government said the Isle of Wight had been chosen again for a trial as it is a controlled geographical area which would allow the service to particularly test features like the QR code check-in and the alert and contact tracing reliability.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-13--Could Meghan Markle Run For Office One Day?

Meghan Markle spoke out about the importance of voting in a feature for Marie Claire magazine published this week. But might the royal have a future in US politics herself?
HuffPost spoke with Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobie — authors of the bombshell royals book “Finding Freedom” that came out earlier this week — about their reporting, the Duchess of Sussex’s voting comments, and whether they think she would ever consider getting more involved in politics or running for office herself.
Lisa Maree Williams via Getty Images Your Majesty or Madame President?
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Durand said she would not make a prediction, but added that the Duchess of Sussex is “an incredible role model for women and for young people.
“She’s an incredibly eloquent and inspirational speaker and she has the capacity to really inspire people and get involved and I think that’s what we need in our country right now,” the journalist told HuffPost.
“I think that would be a wonderful moment if she decided to do that, but I wouldn’t venture a guess nor would I encourage her to do so,” Durand said, adding that she’s “sure that there are many people that would love to see that.”
“I think right now [Meghan and Harry] want to focus on the family and really look to the future ― setting up their Archewell nonprofit,” Durand said. “Maybe in the future, we’ll see that, maybe we won’t.”
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Pool via Getty Images The Duchess of Sussex is used to charming crowds.
On Tuesday, Marie Claire published a piece featuring 100 women, including the Duchess of Sussex, talking about why they’re voting in the upcoming 2020 election.
Meghan told the outlet that she knows “what it’s like to have a voice, and also what it’s like to feel voiceless.”
“I also know that so many men and women have put their lives on the line for us to be heard,” the duchess added. “And that opportunity, that fundamental right, is in our ability to exercise our right to vote and to make all of our voices heard.”
When asked what the duchess meant by feeling “voiceless,” Scobie told HuffPost that “within the institution of the monarchy there is a freedom to talk about many things, but there often many areas that are also deemed as perhaps slightly too politically sensitive.”
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British royals can vote but the queen must remain politically neutral.
Because the Sussexes have stepped back as working members of the royal family, Scobie, who is the royal editor for Harper’s Bazaar, said that the two “don’t have those same boundaries anymore.”
Before the change in their royals commitments, the couple “never would’ve been able to get involved in the Stop Hate for Profit campaign and calling up big organisations to talk to them about the way they sell their advertising or buy their advertising,” he said.
The campaign is made up of civil rights and other advocacy groups asking advertisers to boycott Facebook until it curtails the spread of hate speech and disinformation and the amplification of violent content on its platform.
Meghan Markle opens up about why she's voting in our August 2020 digital issue: "I know what it's like to have a voice, and also what it's like to feel voiceless."https://t.co/Z9v5dGR9l8 pic.twitter.com/LWg0IARkaF — Marie Claire (@marieclaire) August 11, 2020
“People often ask us, ‘Do you think they have freedom?’” Scobie said of the couple’s transition. “And looking at the work that they’re doing, I do think that they are much freer to do the things that mean the most for them.
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“They are a couple that talk about impact a lot and I think that that impact ― we’re seeing it right in front of us,” he said. We “see Meghan talking about voting for the first time in a while, because of course that’s something she would’ve been almost silent about throughout her time as a working royal.”
He mentioned a scene from the book that recounts a story from Harry and Meghan’s wedding reception, where she gave a speech, “which is a slight diversion from protocol anyway and all of her American friends sort of [started] hooting and hollering because they felt they hadn’t heard their friend Meg speak in so long ... I think now we really do hear her voice, as it should be.”
A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex previously told HuffPost that the couple “were not interviewed and did not contribute to ‘Finding Freedom’” and that the “book is based on the authors’ own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting.”
Meghan, who has been a fierce advocate for women’s rights since she was a little girl, has made her political opinions known in the past. She denounced Donald Trump as “divisive” and “misogynistic” during an appearance on “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore” prior to the 2016 election.
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Trump has called Meghan “nasty” twice and later weighed in on the couple’s decision to step back as working members of the royal family in January. He tweeted in March that he wouldn’t be providing security for the Sussexes and that they “must pay!” after reports that the two had moved to Meghan’s hometown of Los Angeles.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-13--Priti Patel Opposed Equal Marriage But At Least She's In Favour Of Anal Sex

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Priti Patel, who unsuccessfully tried to block equal marriage in 2013, has said she is “minded” to decriminalise the sale of poppers – a muscle-relaxing drug often used by gay men during sex.
Under current laws, it’s not illegal to possess poppers, but it can be an offence to supply them for human consumption.
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As a result, they’re often sold as “room aromas” or “leather cleaner”.
In a letter to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), the home secretary said she was keen to remove the uncertainty around the legality of supplying poppers, which are also known as alkyl nitrates.
The ACMD four years ago advised that poppers don’t count as “psychoactive substances” because they don’t directly affect the central nervous system, and thus remained permissible under a 2016 law that tried to ban so-called legal highs.
But a Court of Appeal judgment appeared to contradict this in 2018, saying substances that even indirectly affected the central nervous system should also be banned.
Patel has now asked the ACMD for advice on exempting poppers from the 2016 Psychoactive Substances Act, masterminded by then home secretary Theresa May.
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She noted: “Alkyl nitrites, known as poppers, have been widely used recreationally since the 1970s and are used for their muscle-relaxing effects, especially by homosexual men as an aid to sex.”
Glass poppers in a bed josadaik via Getty Images
In 2016, former Tory minister Crispin Blunt – who is chair of the Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group’s policy council – led the campaign against banning poppers.
Reacting to Patel’s move, he told the Guardian: “Many gay men will be grateful to the home secretary for this clear direction of policy, as indeed am I.”
Many have pointed out that the home secretary twice voted against allowing same-sex couples to marry in 2013. She was in the minority and the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill became law in 2014.
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*phone buzz*
Priti: Oh shit, Ben and Jerry's are having a go at me...
...
... I better make poppers legal for the gays. — Shaun #BLM (@shaunhampson) August 12, 2020
🤦🏻♂ Priti Patel voted against equal marriage, have a word with yourselves
Also, I’m a bottom, and I’ve never used poppers. If you have to huff drugs to have sex, you’re having bad sex https://t.co/DL13WnNJOa — Skylar Baker-Jordan (@SkylarJordan) August 12, 2020
How the absolute **** did Priti find out about poppers? — david chance (@chancedavid) August 12, 2020
The cabinet minister’s letter about poppers comes as she faces pressures on a number of rather more urgent fronts – especially the treatment of migrants attempting to cross the Channel to reach the UK.
Patel has faced warnings from both Labour and human rights groups over the legality of her decision to ask the military for assistance tackling migrant crossings.
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On Monday, the Ministry of Defence said it had sent RAF aircraft to help Border Force spot small boats trying to reach the UK from France.
More than 4,000 people have crossed the Channel in small boats so far this year.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-13--Climate Change A Factor In Aberdeenshire Train Crash, Suggests Scottish Transport Secretary

The site of a train crash in Aberdeenshire on August 12, 2020, where three carriages and an engine are understood to have derailed HuffPost UK
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Scotland’s transport secretary Michael Matheson has suggested climate change played a part in the Aberdeenshire train crash, pointing to the “very intense rainfall” in the area.
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Officials have pledged to find out what caused a train to derail on Wednesday, killing three people and injuring six others.
The 6.38am Aberdeen to Glasgow Queen Street service crashed near Stonehaven amid heavy rain and flooding.
Among the dead were the train’s driver, named locally as Brett McCullough, as well as the conductor and a passenger.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4′s Today programme on Thursday morning, Matheson said it was “reasonable to suggest weather has been a factor” in the crash given the “very intense rainfall” during the night.
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“We are expiring an ever increasing number of very localised, intense, weather events that are having an impact on the rail network and the transport network overall,” he said.
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Train driver Brett McCullough and conductor Donald Dinnie died in the derailment near Stonehaven, ScotRail’s managing director has confirmed.
The third person who died is believed to have been a passenger on the train.
Matheson will visit the area today, along with UK transport secretary Grant Shapps, and meet members of the emergency services.
Matheson added in a separate BBC interview this morning: “My heart goes out to all those who have been affected by this, particularly to the families and friends of those who were killed in this incident yesterday.
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“My thoughts are very much with them and I also hope those injured in the course of this incident are able to make a speedy recovery.”
Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines added: “Our climate is changing and it is increasingly challenging the performance and reliability of the railway, but incidents like yesterday’s devastating accident are incredibly rare, and our railway remains the safest major railway in Europe.
“Our network was designed for a temperate climate, and it’s challenged when we get extremes such as storms and floods.”
Ahead of the visit, Shapps said: “I express my deepest condolences to the friends and families of those affected in the tragic incident near Stonehaven.
“My department is in close contact with all relevant parties, including our counterparts in the Scottish Government, to provide any support that is required.
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“I want to pay tribute to the emergency services and rail workers, who have responded so quickly in these distressing circumstances.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-13--Jimmy Kimmel Live! Shuts Down Troll's Sexist Response To Dua Lipa Monologue

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An Instagram troll was left with egg on their face after posting a sexist comment about Dua Lipa’s turn as a guest host on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
“Women still aren’t funny,” the troll wrote in response to a video of the British musician’s monologue on Monday’s episode of the show.
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The show’s account fired back:
“Maybe if one talks to you someday you’ll change your mind.”
Ouch.
It’s not clear who posted the show’s response.
Jimmy Kimmel is currently on a summer hiatus from presenting.
Check out Dua Lipa’s monologue here:
And the show’s exchange with the troll here:
Instagram/Jimmy Kimmel Live
Kimmel announced his summer break in June with a comedy bit involving actor Matt Damon, with whom he’s been engaged in a long-running fake feud.
“There’s nothing wrong,” Kimmel told viewers. “My family’s healthy, I’m healthy, I just need a couple of months off.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-13--This Year’s Disastrous A-Level Results Are Just The Beginning Of Catastrophe

Exam desks in a exam hall Robert Moore via Getty Images
Earlier this week, we saw A-level grades downgraded by 40% for pupils in Scotland, leaving those from the poorest and most disadvantaged backgrounds in a vulnerable position concerning their futures.
In England, we learnt that, in some schools, grades have been reduced by 50%.
While the Scottish government has reverted to the originally predicted grades by teachers, a widely celebrated move, it presents its own challenges.
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In particular, it has revealed a two-tiered structure that perpetuates inequality and that is sanctioned by this government.
The system throws up a plethora of issues that the Predicting Futures study by the Equality Act Review forewarned of three months ago.
Unconscious bias from teachers, factoring in past school exam performance, a failure to consider different learning styles, or taking mitigating circumstances into account, among others, are all factors that could lead to grades being under-predicted.
“There is no doubt that schools in more affluent areas have greater resources, and therefore will have better results.”
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And yet, the Department of Education and Ofqual failed to take action.
Blindfolding over these flaws in the system, grades were nonetheless allowed to be submitted. These compromised predictions then faced further suppression by exam regulators.
Reverting back to teachers’ original estimates, as with the U-turn taken by the Scottish government, is not necessarily a fix – as it fails to acknowledge that inequality still very much exists.
An alarming factor in both stages of under-predictions is the presence of algorithms that include past exam performances of schools.
There is no doubt that schools in more affluent areas have greater resources, and therefore have better results, whereas schools in less affluent areas with fewer resources tend to perform less well.
“The effects of this government sanctioned postcode lottery education system will reproduce and perpetuate for years to come.”
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Talented students in less affluent areas then, fall victim to their postcodes as witnessed in private schools continuing online education throughout lockdown, while public schools ceased teaching.
This leaves the government’s come-back clause of “students can resit exams in Autumn” null and void, as pupils from poorer backgrounds are more likely to be ill-prepared to sit these exams due to disrupted learning since March.
Amidst a global pandemic then, the British government has permitted a postcode lottery style education system as a solution to exam cancellations.
We know too well of the complex issues around inequality in both education and employment under pre-pandemic conditions in the UK, which with the aid of mis-judged government policies, have been exacerbated throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
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The effects of this government sanctioned postcode lottery education system will reproduce and perpetuate for years to come. Take for instance the lag in success rate for disadvantaged students that will transpire, as they are less likely to be prepared to sit exams in the autumn and thus might have to lose the entire academic year catching up on learning, in order to resit their GCSE and A-level exams.
This will delay the most vulnerable students achieving success at the same rate as affluent pupils, thereby denying them equality opportunities. Without a doubt, this will snowball into delayed employment outcomes, which will have repercussions for the social outcomes of these pupils and their families for decades, if not generations to come. This is wholly contradictory and antithetical to the equalising impact that education is meant to have.
Let’s also not sidestep the impact of delayed employment for the future of our economy. With young people today missing out on university and college places due to under-predicted grades, there will be fewer opportunities available to them, which will most probably cause a decline in household GDP, a greater reliance on the welfare system, and a shortfall in “skilled workers” which will most likely cause companies to outsource talent from foreign countries.
While this will uphold the “migrant crisis” in decades to come, few will perhaps make the link to the postcode lottery education system, sanctioned by the current Conservative government.
Furthermore, we risk losing diversity in the workplace entirely, as BAME students are more likely to be affected by under-predictions, losing out on university places and unable to acquire employment at the same rate as non-BAME and affluent individuals.
If the flawed grade predictions system deskills our youth from the outset, what hope can we have to ever rise from the ashes of the recession we have currently plunged into?
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The approach we take at this time must be well thought-out and provide the benefit of foresight, as the future of our youth, and, by extension, the future of our country, depends on it. We must not allow inequality to worsen and we must certainly not allow the impact of this second recession to cast a shadow over future generations.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-13--Simon Cowell Is Already On The Mend After Surgery On Broken Back, Says Co-Star Heidi Klum

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Simon Cowell is already back on his feet just days after undergoing surgery on his broken back, according to his fellow America’s Got Talent judge Heidi Klum.
Over the weekend, it was reported that the 60-year-old TV mogul had been rushed to hospital with a broken back, after falling from an electric bike he was riding at his home in California.
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Having now undergone surgery on his back, reports have suggested that Simon has already been up walking, which his AGT co-star Heidi Klum appears to have confirmed.
Simon Cowell Tibrina Hobson via Getty Images
Speaking to People magazine, she revealed: “We were told he already got up out of the bed, which is just incredible.
“When we woke up on Sunday morning to the news, you think, ‘Oh my gosh, will he ever walk again?’”
The supermodel continued: “Who knows maybe next week he will be sitting there with us again, at the speed he’s going! I hope he does.
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“I was like, ‘What else is happening?’ Every morning you wake up to another crazy news and I hope this is it for now. Can we just turn the page and can life get better? We’re all hoping for that.”
The cast of America's Got Talent: The Champions, including Heidi Klum and Alesha Dixon NBC via Getty Images
While Simon recovers from surgery, he has been temporarily replaced on the AGT judging panel by Kelly Clarkson, who he previously judged on the very first series of American Idol.
I think I could get used to this! 😉 Just kidding @SimonCowell! Get well soon my friend ❤ Your @AGT family misses you! #AGT pic.twitter.com/xoffcLO2Fk — Kelly Clarkson (@kellyclarkson) August 12, 2020
Simon spoke out for the first time about his injury on Monday morning, joking: “Some good advice… If you buy an electric trail bike, read the manual before you ride it for the first time.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-13--Katy Perry Speaks Out Over Controversial Tweet In Support Of Ellen DeGeneres

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Katy Perry has spoken out over the controversy about her tweet in defence of talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.
Last week, Katy posted a tweet about her positive experiences of working with Ellen, after it was confirmed that her talk show was under an internal investigation over allegations of a toxic work environment.
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This included allegations of racism, unfair dismissal, intimidation and an overall toxic environment, perpetuated by the show’s senior producers, as outlined in a BuzzFeed News article.
Ellen Degeneres VALERIE MACON via Getty Images
Earlier this month, Katy tweeted: “I know I can’t speak for anyone else’s experience besides my own but I want to acknowledge that I have only ever had positive takeaways from my time with Ellen & on the @theellenshow.
“I think we all have witnessed the light & continual fight for equality that she has brought to the world through her platform for decades. Sending you love & a hug, friend.”
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1/2 I know I can’t speak for anyone else’s experience besides my own but I want to acknowledge that I have only ever had positive takeaways from my time with Ellen & on the @theellenshow. I think we all have witnessed the light & continual fight for equality that she has brought — KATY PERRY (@katyperry) August 4, 2020
2/2 to the world through her platform for decades. Sending you love & a hug, friend @TheEllenShow ♥ — KATY PERRY (@katyperry) August 4, 2020
Many of Katy’s friends were upset with her tweets, suggesting they undermined the points made by those employees who had chosen to speak out, with the Smile singer addressing this in a new interview with the LA Times.
“I started that tweet off not undermining anyone else’s experience,” Katy insisted. “I wanted to only speak from my own experience.
“I have over 100 million people that follow me on Twitter, so not everyone is going to agree with me. And I’m not here to make everyone agree with me.”
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Katy Perry Shutterstock
Katy’s comments come after Ellen’s in-house DJ Stephen “tWitch” Boss broke his silence on the matter, and was generally supportive of the comedian.
He told Us Weekly: “We can’t speak too much legally about it, but I’ll say this, there’s been love.
“Obviously there’s some things to address, but from my standpoint and from countless others, there’s been love. I’ll just leave it at that until there’s a time where we can address more publicly. There’s been love and there will continue to be love.”
Ellen and tWitch on the set of her game show Ellen's Game Of Games NBC via Getty Images
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Since the claims about the work environment on her show were made public, Ellen has apologised to her employees in a staff-wide email.
She wrote: “On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that The Ellen DeGeneres Show would be a place of happiness – no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-13--Covid-19 Has Killed 166,000 In The US. But Trump’s Worried About His ‘Perfect’ Hair

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With the US still very much in the grips of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 166,000 people in the country, you might assume that Donald Trump would be focussing his efforts on fighting the virus.
Think again. On Wednesday, the government proposed re-writing rules on showerheads following complaints from the president that current levels of water pressure – which are set to save water – were hindering his attempts to make his hair “perfect”. (Yes, you read that right).
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In a speech at the White House in July, Trump moaned: “Showerheads — you take a shower, the water doesn’t come out. You want to wash your hands, the water doesn’t come out. So what do you do?”
“You just stand there longer or you take a shower longer? Because my hair — I don’t know about you, but it has to be perfect. Perfect.”
The Energy Department has now proposed rolling back three-decade-old efficiency standards for showerheads.
The plan essentially seeks to change the federal definition of a showerhead to allow manufacturers to dramatically increase water use.
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Under rules Congress passed in 1992 in response to severe droughts, water flow from an entire showerhead is limited to 2.5 gallons per minute. The proposed change would allow manufacturers to apply that restriction to each nozzle on a showerhead.
The proposal would reverse 2011 guidance from the Department of Energy that determined that when Congress used the term “showerhead,” it “actually meant ‘any showerhead’ ― and that a showerhead with multiple nozzles constitutes a single showerhead for purposes of [the] water conservation standard.”
The Energy Department has for nearly 30 years interpreted each of these devices as a showerhead. Under the Trump administration's proposal, each nozzle would count as its own showerhead, allowing manufacturers to dramatically increase water use. Energy Department
Conservation advocates called the proposal a “gimmick in search of a problem” and likened the complaint to a 1996 “Seinfeld” episode about low-flow showerheads.
“The new multi-nozzle showerheads would not only needlessly waste water, exacerbating shortages caused by drought, but also boost the carbon pollution that has made long-term droughts worse,” Andrew deLaski, the executive director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project, said in a blog post on Wednesday. “No one benefits from this gimmick.”
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Bloomberg first reported the proposed rule. The plan came the same day Energy Department regulators proposed new clothes washers and dryers to use virtually unlimited amounts of energy and water.
“You turn on the shower, if you’re like me you can’t wash your beautiful hair properly ... I got rid of that,” Trump has said. Joshua Roberts / reuters
Increasing water use would add new stress to the environment and ratepayers at a moment when both are under severe and mounting pressure.
Three entire U.S. states ― Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico ― are in a drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. In Puerto Rico, the largest U.S. overseas territory, the government implemented water rationing throughout 26% of the island as drought yet again caused severe reservoir shortages.
Americans’ water bills, meanwhile, increased by an average of 80% over the past decade.
Trump’s tirade on the state of showerheads is his latest complaint in a long line of gripes about household appliances.
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In December, he moaned that modern toilets just weren’t good enough.
“People are flushing toilets 10 times, 15 times, as opposed to once,” he said.
Trump has also previously complained about energy-efficient lightbulbs.
During a rally speech last year, he said: “I say, ‘Why do I always look so orange?’ You know why: because of the new light,”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-13--Florida Sheriff In Covid-19 Hot Spot Decrees No Face Masks For Deputies

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Florida Sheriff Billy Woods refuses to be part of a cover-up ― so he is forbidding his deputies and staffers from wearing face masks at work.
Woods, the sheriff of Marion County in central Florida, made the no-masks decree in an email to staffers on Tuesday. He insisted he took the risks of spreading Covid-19 into his decision.
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“Now, I can already hear the whining and just so you know I did not make this decision easily and I have weighed it out for the past 2 weeks,” Woods said in the email, according to Ocala.com.
Woods made the decision despite the overwhelming recommendation of epidemiologists and other health experts who say face masks and social distancing are key ways to slow the spread of the coronavirus, according to The Washington Post.
“We can debate and argue all day of why and why not. The fact is, the amount of professionals that give the reason why we should, I can find the exact same amount of professionals that say why we shouldn’t,” he said in his email.
Exceptions will be made for deputies at jails, schools, courthouses, hospitals and nursing homes, and for interactions with those who are elderly or have Covid-19.
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Woods said visitors to the sheriff’s office also won’t be allowed to wear masks so they can be easily identified and there is clear communication, The Associated Press reported.
Woods told deputies to tell citizens who complain about the lack of a mask to ”politely and professionally tell them ‘I am not required to wear a mask nor will I, per the Order of the Sheriff’ and then walk away from them,” according to WFTV-TV.
The timing of the no-mask decree couldn’t be worse:
Marion County ― population 370,000 ― has had nearly 6,800 confirmed coronavirus cases and 104 deaths since the start of the pandemic, according to NPR.org.
Ironically, Marion reported a single-day record of 13 deaths on Tuesday, the same day the sheriff declared deputies could not wear masks.
In addition, 43 sheriff’s office employees and more than 200 inmates at the Marion County Jail have tested positive for the coronavirus so far.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-13--Katie Price Compares Herself To James Bond Villain Jaws As She Gets Teeth Replaced

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Katie Price has revealed what’s left of her real teeth before undergoing surgery to have her veneers replaced, joking that she looks like a James Bond villain.
The reality star gave fans a glimpse of the procedure on her YouTube channel after flying to Turkey earlier this month for the procedure.
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In the clip, the 42-year-old shows off what is left of her original teeth, which have been reduced to tiny pegs.
Katie tells fans: “I’m feeling good. Just numb. I look like something out of James Bond. The man with metal teeth.”
Katie Price shows off what's left of her real teeth. YouTube
And for those not familiar with early Bond movies, meet Jaws, who Katie is referring to...
Jaws, played by Richard Kiel, appeared in the 1979 James Bond film, Moonraker. Danjaq/Eon/Ua/Kobal/Shutterstock
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Katie’s boyfriend Carl Woods was also filmed lying in the dentist’s chair as he got his own set of veneers fitted.
The former glamour model jetted off to Turkey with Carl and her children Junior, 15, and Princess, 13, las month to undergo "his and hers teeth".
At the time, Katie shared a picture of herself on Instagram wearing a tooth mould, which she captioned: “Here it goes @dental_centre_turkey a brand new colour and new teeth.”
Katie’s trip to Turkey didn’t go quite as planned though after she ended up in hospital with two broken feet.
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The star revealed she had sustained serious injuries after jumping over a wall at an amusement park, and wouldn’t be able to walk for three to six months.
At the time, she explained to her subscribers: “The hospital here wanted to operate, they wanted to put pins in and stuff, but because I’m away, I’d rather do it all when I get home.”
Katie’s representative has now confirmed that the operation will take place this week, now that she is back in the UK.
Since returning home, Katie has been showing her fans how she’s adapted to her injuries, posting footage of herself on social media walking around her home on knee pads.