thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-13--Political Correctness Is Not Censorship – It's Human Rights

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“But, MUM!! You can’t say that!”
If you’ve never had to say that phrase, either your mum is an angel… or she’s not on Twitter.
The language we use in our day to day life is consistently evolving and adapting to the social constructs we tend to – or hope to – abide by. Terms are coined for actions previously deemed insignificant, or not possible, like “selfie” or “manspreading”. Equally, terms now considered offensive or abusive are thrown out, like “insane” or “crazy”.
This is why certain words and phrases your dad and his mates said in 1982 might not be as readily accepted in 2020. This isn’t new information, but for some reason, each time someone is called out for using discriminatory or non-inclusive language, the term political correctness appears just about everywhere. This time? It was J.K. Rowling’s dismissal of the phrase “people who menstruate”, as well as the Black Lives Matter movement gaining another wave of momentum during lockdown, following the tragic death of George Floyd.
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People march as they attend a Black Lives Matter protest in London ASSOCIATED PRESS
“Politically correct” has become something of a buzzword over the last few decades. Mostly, it is used to dismiss the left’s push for more inclusive, less discriminatory language. Associated with trends such as “no platforming” and, lest we forget, “cancel culture”, critics of the “political correctness movement” dismiss it as an infringement on their human rights; their freedom of speech. These critics have been out in full force of late, with comedians, journalists, fans of old, British sitcoms and those against the removal of statues desperately denouncing a restriction on their language and actions.
“It’s PC gone mad!” they cry, as a decades-old sitcom gets cancelled for using blackface as a comedic tool and perpetuating destructive stereotypes of the working class (Little Britain, in this instance). “We’re just not allowed to be funny anymore,” the male comedian sighs, after finding out that jokes about sexual assault don’t land quite as well in a post Me Too era. “They’re taking away my freedom of speech. It’s just not fair!” sulks the multimillionaire writer, after being told that gender-neutral language is a means to acceptance, and that publicly rejecting it is transphobic in nature.
It’s easy to get lost in the so-called culture war, most of which, by the way, is either fabricated or an attempt to get out of jail free, without having to face up to one’s past actions.
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But political correctness is not about infringing on anyone’s rights. In fact, it’s the opposite. And framing it as otherwise is extremely short sighted and ignorant. That we, in this country, are able to even debate language to begin with is a blatant example of our freedom of speech.
To take this stance now, as China enforces draconian measures allowing Hong Kong to censor, block and erase online content, is ruthlessly ignorant. The law, which came into effect this month, is seen to be targeting and imprisoning anti-government demonstrators. At least nine people in china were arrested on suspicion of breaching the new law, after thousands of protesters defied a police-ban to take part in an annual pro-democracy march on Wednesday. Anyone, engaging in anti-communism, or anti-government discourse can, and likely will, be punished.
In light of this, it’s inconceivable that anyone could consider an attempt to shift away from discriminatory uses of language to be anything other than what it is: compassionate.
Actually, I’d go as far as to say that these people don’t really believe their human rights are being snatched away from them. What they’re really afraid of isn’t censorship at all. What they don’t like – and listen closely – is that they feel like their character is being attacked. But I’ll let you in to a little secret: using a term you didn’t know was offensive does not make you a bigot, it’s what comes next that matters.
It’s okay to admit to your wrongdoings. No one will judge you for genuinely apologising and committing to change – look at Jenna Marbles, for instance, who apologised for her past discriminatory content and deleted her channel.
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Political correctness is not something to shy away from. Without it, the working class would still be openly demonised, words like slut and bitch would still be used to deny women’s right to sexual pleasure and racial and homophobic slurs would still contribute to the oppression of those they denote. Language reform is a huge step in changing attitudes, which leads to basic rights and privileges for those marginalised in society.
Political correctness is not censorship; it’s human rights.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-13--Eating Meat Isn't Just Unethical – It's Suicidal

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Imagine a world in which humans had never eaten meat. Then, one day, a big food company announces their new range: they’re going to sell animal flesh products.
The adverts say they’re going to kill 70 billion land animals every year – 90 per cent of them from intensive factory farms. They accept it will cause huge pollution and climate change, but dinners will be tastier.
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They say it will cause occasional food poisoning and probably some pandemics, but there’s going to be a salty version of pigs called “bacon”, and we’ll love it.
Would any of this sound like a good deal to you? Would you buy the food and support the industry?
Think about it, because this is what you’re doing if you eat meat or dairy.
The meat and dairy industries already imprison and slaughter more than 70 billion land animals each year, and their greedy rackets are already destroying the environment and causing pandemics.
“The meat industry is killing 70 billion animals a year, causing deadly pandemics and destroying the planet. Is your bacon sandwich really worth it?”
A new UN report said the number of zoonotic epidemics – the ones that can be transmitted from animals to people – is rising, from Ebola to Sars to West Nile virus and Rift Valley fever. The authors warned that although the world is treating the health and economic symptoms of this coronavirus pandemic, governments are ignoring the root causes: humans’ destruction of nature and meat eating.
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A white paper found that nearly every major zoonotic disease outbreak of the last 120 years is inextricably linked to animal exploitation, including meat consumption. The human cost is huge: even before Covid-19, two million people die from zoonotic diseases each year.
The connection between animal and human lives is becoming clearer to see. Only this month, a new strain of flu with the potential to become a pandemic was identified in China. Researchers said the infections started in people who were working in the pork industry — in blood soaked abattoirs. Professor James Wood, head of the department of veterinary medicine at the University of Cambridge, told the BBC that this news “comes as a salutary reminder” that human contact with farmed animals often acts as the source of pandemic viruses.
The wet markets of China are not the only link between animal exploitation and Covid-19. Around the world there are fresh outbreaks of the virus springing up in slaughterhouses – in England, Wales, the US, Canada, Ireland and Germany.
It’s frightening: at the time of writing, over half a million people have died from Covid-19 and it has caused widespread heartache, disruption and economic damage. Yet, for all the hours I’ve heard our leaders discussing what to do, barely a moment is focused on discussing a really important aspect of stopping this from happening again.
Some people hope the awkward fact will just go away if we don’t talk about it. Nonetheless, experts say the rate of pandemics will accelerate if mankind’s addiction to meat is not confronted.
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Given the solid link between these deadly viruses and the deadly livestock industry, I think it’s time to update the vegan lobby’s oldest slogan: meat isn’t just murder – it’s suicide.
The top five meat and dairy companies are responsible for more emissions than ExxonMobil, Shell or BP. Animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the combined exhaust from transportation. It is also to blame for huge emissions of nitrous oxide, a gas that is 310 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in trapping heat in the atmosphere.
The meat industry is killing 70 billion animals a year, causing deadly pandemics and destroying the planet. Is your bacon sandwich really worth it? Delicious plant-based substitutes are now available for all meat products. We all love nice food, so if your burger or bacon sandwich is important to you, you can eat them without killing any animals, promoting pandemics, or trashing the planet. What’s stopping you?
The only people who benefit – in the short term at least – from you continuing to eat meat are the bosses who make a fortune from all this death and destruction. They hope you won’t think about animals suffering in factory farms. They’re counting on you not to notice the link between those animals taking their final breath in slaughterhouses and people taking their final breaths in hospital beds. They’ll keep laughing their way to the bank for as long as you ignore the environmental pillage they are causing.
As more people wake up, meat and dairy consumption is going down and veganism is growing. One day, a tipping point will arrive. Future generations will look back at slaughterhouses and factory farms and be amazed by how uncivilised and ignorant we were. It will seem absolutely awful that this happened and that so many kept quiet. People will wonder about their own ancestors. So, are you going to risk more death and destruction for the sake a bacon sandwich? Which side of history will you be on?
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-13--This Is What It’s Like To Be A Paramedic On The Coronavirus Frontline

Sam, on shift with the West Midlands Ambulance Service HuffPost UK
When I was offered the opportunity to go out and work as an ambulance clinical assistant during the coronavirus pandemic, I didn’t need to think twice. As a second-year paramedic science student it hit home that, with the number of ambulance crews growing in the face of coronavirus, this was a valuable chance to see how big an impact Covid-19 is having on the NHS and society as a whole.
My excitement about the learning opportunity quickly turned to thoughts of how vulnerable we might be: visiting patients who may or may not be Covid-positive, and the possibility of taking the virus home to family members was an odd but not unrealistic proposition. Was I putting the ones I love at risk by doing a job that I love? Even though it was scary, I decided it was a great opportunity for me to learn.
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The first thing I learned was that it’s business as usual for ambulance crews, responding to calls as usual, albeit with the provision of personal protection equipment. West Midlands Ambulance Service, who I work with, had invested so much in PPE and gone all out to support and protect staff. Before the virus, we’d wear gloves, but now we have aprons, boot covers, masks, gloves and goggles. For paramedics, those first few minutes can make the difference, so while it’s time consuming, we got a lot faster with more experience of putting the PPE on.
Here’s what my first shift looked like:
First call, 1920hrs: Patient with blunt head injury, we attended and, following assessment, suggested that he went to hospital – however the man refused, so he was left in his own environment after spending 1.5 hours with him.
It was nerve-wracking taking my first call, when you’re on scene for so long your patient comes first so you forget your nerves. After that initial first job, I felt ready for my second and was feeling more confident.
Second call, 2115 hrs: Patient unconscious with noisy breathing, within ten minutes of arrival the patient had arrested and was transferred to hospital. Call took approximately 2.5 hours.
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Third call: Patient reported chest pain and following an electrocardiogram (ECG) was transferred to hospital. Approximately one hour spent with this patient.
Fourth call: Patient had a fall and laceration. We helped them get up and advised a transfer to hospital. However, the patient refused on the basis of the Covid-19 situation. Despite a prolonged period of reassurance, the patient still refused to accompany the crew and we had no choice but to leave the patient at home. This, to me, was a sign that the pandemic and lockdown have created fear for some patients, and that some don’t want to risk attending an A&E department in cases they normally wouldn’t even think twice about.
One thing I noticed on my shift is that lockdown has clearly created an increased feeling of loneliness for those who live alone or can’t be visited by family, and a lack of being in touch with the outside world. Knowing that helping those individuals and providing them with a much-needed friendly face and a real person for them to talk to felt rewarding.
These tend to be members of older generations, who in my experience are usually the people most stoic in their approach to life. Seeing how they have clearly been affected psychologically by all of this has been heart-wrenching, and we often felt sad to walk away and leave them alone once again in the middle of the night.
As for the people we do take to hospital, their fear of being unwell is often compounded by a fear of going into hospital, fearing they may contract the virus as a result. I can physically feel that fear and hear it in the voices around me. I’m the one sat in the back of the ambulance with the patient on route, trying to constantly reassure them, trying my hardest to make them feel comfortable. A few patients seem to pick up on the way, and then when you pull up to the hospital you can see those nerves return, no matter how much you have reassured them.
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That’s all just one snapshot of one shift. The next can be entirely different to this, every job being a Category 1 (the most serious) or every job being a Category 3, no one can predict what the next 24 hours will bring. At the end of all of this, I hope there is support for all of those within the NHS, to give them all some down time to reflect and talk about their experiences during this crisis, good and bad. In one day I had four Category 1 calls (where patients can have life threatening conditions), including two involving very young children, one of whom we had to rush to A&E. It was a lot to process, and I went to A&E to check on their progress before I went home, which helped me.
Being a paramedic is so daunting, but that’s part of what I love about doing what I do: most of all, it’s about being there for people when they are at what may be their lowest or most frightening point. If I can make that journey in their life a little easier, especially during this pandemic, then I go home satisfied, knowing I’ve made a difference.
Sam is a paramedic student at Wolverhampton University. He appears in Channel 4′s Paramedics: Britain’s Lifesavers, airing Monday 13 July
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-13--Michael Gove Finds Out The Hard Way That Boris Johnson Really Is The Boss

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Boris Johnson and Michael Gove have always had much in common, not least their shared expression of grey-faced shock the morning after the Vote Leave triumph in the 2016 EU referendum. Both Oxford Union-presidents-turned-journalists-turned-MPs, both responsible for what Remainers remember as “the column that went wrong” of Brexit, both had a prickly relationship with Theresa May.
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Despite Gove’s famous political knife crime in the subsequent Tory leadership race, Johnson actually handed him the job of Cabinet Office minister three years later when he finally got to No.10. The role was an important one, and since the 2019 election Gove has effectively been appointed Brexit secretary, in charge of sorting the nuts and bolts of the UK’s future relations with the EU.
Much closer to Dominic Cummings than Johnson, Gove still has a big role in shaping ‘the centre’ of this government even after Brexit trade phases kick in next year. But he still lacks a big spending department all of his own, and everything that comes with it. Although his admirers like to see him as on a par with Rishi Sunak in importance, the Cabinet Office will never be the Treasury.
Don’t forget too that in his first Cabinet appointments last summer, Johnson gave the plum post of foreign secretary, and the prestigious title of first secretary of state, to Dominic Raab. That title took on huge new significance when Raab became stand-in prime minister during the PM’s Covid illness. Any illusion that Gove was ‘the real deputy PM’ were shattered quite quickly.
So, maybe those Gove barbs back in 2016 - that Johnson could not “provide the leadership” or unity needed to be PM, that he wasn’t really a true believer in Brexit - have indeed never been forgotten. Johnson, after all, did provide both the leadership and unifying skills his party sadly lacked under May and then went on to win a thumping majority. Even Gove’s closest friends would struggle to argue he could have pulled off such an audacious feat as smashing the ‘Red Wall’ last December.
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Today’s events confirm the rawness of their power relationship. While Gove was on the defensive in the Commons - trying to explain how Pet Passports would work next year and that Kent would not become a lorry park costing business £12.8bn in red tape - Johnson was on the offensive. Yes, just a day after Gove had appeared to contradict the PM on face coverings, Johnson put him firmly in his place on the issue.
Gove had gone on the Andrew Marr show on Sunday to declare that the wearing of facemasks should not be made mandatory. Only on Friday, Johnson had hinted at forcing the public to comply, saying “I do think we need to be stricter in insisting people wear face coverings in confined spaces”. But here was one of his senior cabinet ministers saying it should instead be a matter of “basic good manners”.
Well, compulsion is on its way, with Matt Hancock set to annouce on Tuesday that face covering will be mandatory in England from July 24. As with Brexit, Gove may have purer credentials as a libertarian unkeen on the state regulating our behaviour, but once again Johnson sees the task of getting the public on his side. Getting people out and about and driving the economy, while stressing safety, is seen by No.10 as the priority.
Today’s latest King’s College London study suggesting Covid-19 antibodies don’t last more than a few weeks, severely undermining any hope of a “herd immunity” strategy, emphasises the case for extra vigilance. Mass mask wearing could do more to clarify the government’s vague slogan “Stay Alert” than the actual slogan itself.
BEN STANSALL via Getty Images
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The expected new compulsion will be seen as another sign of Gove’s lack of clout, or that the PM never lets anyone forget who is the boss, or both. The lingering suspicion among the Cabinet Office minister’s allies will be that he is yet again being treated like a “performing dog” by another Etonian PM who sees him as not really ‘one of us’.
That was the complaint against David Cameron by Gove’s pals, back in 2014 when he was demoted from his beloved role of education secretary. The pair’s kids were at school together, Gove was the captain of their school quiz team, their families went on long walks, yet ultimately (even before their final schism over Brexit) Cameron ruthlessly plonked him in the job of chief whip, a role for which he was pretty unsuited.
At the time, Gove joked that while others talked of “demotion, emotion, locomotion” it was “exciting to be given a role at the heart of government”. And here he is again “at the heart of government” but without any real authority. The “performing dog”, given the grunt work of sorting that new Brexit arrangement of customs, borders and the Northern Ireland sell-out, may be forgiven for thinking he’s in line for his very own pet passport out of government at some point next year.
The danger is of course greater than any harm to Gove’s personal feelings. The risk is the mixed messaging, not just over the past few days but over the past few weeks, will leave the public cold when the PM wants them running hot down to the shops. Why are masks compulsory now, when there are fewer cases and deaths since lockdown started, but they weren’t at the height of the pandemic?
Sadiq Khan spent weeks calling for compulsory masks on transport before it was finally agreed. Nicola Sturgeon enforced it in Scottish shops last Friday. Yet Rishi Sunak served meals last week without one, then the PM finally wore his own £2 mask two days later. There is also the practical problem of who in shops should actually police this mask-wearing. Although police will have the power to issue fines, where does that leave security guards in supermarkets?
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On the wider issue of where people should work, the confused and chaotic messaging was again evident in the past few days. Justice secretary Robert Buckland neatly summed up the problem in one interview with ITV: “The guidance is work from home if you can..That’s still there….[But] the message is, yes, come back to work.” Okayyyy.
Maybe that’s why the black and white clarity of face coverings is what appeals to No.10. Even this government can’t tell people to wear them and not wear them at the same time. Can it?
Quote Of The Day
“We in Scotland intend to take him exactly at his word, although perhaps not quite in the way he intended.”
The SNP’s Pete Wishart ridicules Michael Gove’s ‘Let’s Get Going’ Brexit slogan.
Monday Cheat Sheet
Boris Johnson used a visit to London Ambulance Service to say an announcement on whether face coverings should be compulsory in shops will be made “in the next few days”.
Chris Grayling, Sir John Hayes, Stewart Hosie, Diana Johnson, Kevan Jones, Julian Lewis, Mark Pritchard and Theresa Villiers were approved by the Commons as members of the Intelligence and Security Committee.
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The UK’s post-Brexit border regime will take place over three stages next year, with most businesses able to delay filling out any customs declaration forms until July. Up to 12 inspection sites will be built near ports like Dover. Labour’s Rachel Reeves warned the new red tape could cost business £12.8bn.
Labour revealed it has received the draft findings of the Equalities And Human Rights Commission’s report into anti-Semitism in the party.
Home secretary Priti Patel unveiled the new health and care visa of her points based immigration system, but sparked a row when it emerged care workers would not be included.
BT’s chief executive Philip Jansen told the BBC would be “impossible” to remove Huawei from the whole of the UK’s telecoms infrastructure before 2030.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-13--BBC's Tiny Happy People Gets Kate's Backing. Here's What You Need To Know

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We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus pandemic. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
If you’re looking for ways to educate your little ones at home, there’s a new online resource to help you.
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Tiny Happy People is an initiative from BBC Education that aims to help develop young kids’ language skills – and it’s endorsed by the Duchess of Cambridge.
The digital hub has been designed to support parents and carers in developing children’s language from pregnancy to the age of four. So what is it all about – and how can it help you and your kids? Here’s everything you need to know.
What is Tiny Happy People?
Think of it like a digital hub, at the heart of which is a simple message, according to BBC Education: talk to children from as early an age as possible.
There are online activities to try with your kids that aid development – you can filter the activities by the age of your child, so it’s suitable to them. Each one has a short video for parents to watch as well as info on how it boosts their language skills. Have a browse for yourself.
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HuffPost UK BBC
The short films, articles and quizzes cover – in a bitesize way – the science behind brain development. The site also has tips and advice for parents, as well as expert-led Q&As. Oh, and everything’s free!
This follows on from the BBC Bitesize offering for school age children offered to ease the homeschooling burdern on parents through lockdown.
Why has it been launched?
Evidence shows more than one in four children (27%) in England don’t reach the necessary level of literacy development (language, communication and literacy skills) by the time they start primary school, rising to more than one in three (42%) in deprived areas. The picture is similar across all nations of the UK.
Research also shows that once children start behind, they stay behind, affecting performance in school and job prospects, the BBC shared. The resources on Tiny Happy People have been developed with the help of experts in child and language development to make sure parents are being offered the best advice.
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How is the Duchess of Cambridge involved?
The Duchess has been part of the project for a number of months, visiting the Tiny Happy People team in London last November for a creative workshop where she worked with the team on some of the video resources and social media content.
HuffPost UK Kensington Palace
To mark the launch, The Duchess also met three families who have been involved in the pilot of Tiny Happy People. “Families and carers are at the heart of nurturing the next generation of happy, healthy adults, but sometimes it can be hard to know where to turn to for advice,” the Duchess said.
“[It’s] an invaluable resource which provides parents and carers with support and tips, as well as simple activities to ensure children develop the language skills they need to have the best possible start in life.
“I am delighted to have been part of its journey and hope families across the UK will enjoy exploring the resources.”
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Who else is involved?
Also supporting the initiative are a number of celebs, who are using the activities to build their own infants’ communication skills.
These include: soap stars Jennie McAlpine and Kieron Richardson; singer and farmer JB Gill; former Love Islanders, Jess and Dom Lever; BBC Three presenter Annie Price; and mum blogger Louiuse Pentland.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-13--Face Coverings To Be Compulsory In England's Shops

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Wearing a face covering in shops and supermarkets is to be made mandatory in England from next week, the government has announced.
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In a statement on Tuesday, health secretary Matt Hancock will say anyone failing to comply with the order could face a fine of up to £100. The move comes into force on July 24.
It will bring England into line with Scotland, where face coverings are already mandatory in shops. Germany, Spain, Italy and Greece have also already made it compulsory to wear coverings inside shops.
The decision follows a weekend of confusion over whether ministers intended to make face coverings compulsory after Boris Johnson said they were looking at “stricter” rules.
The senior Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said on Sunday he did not believe they should be mandatory and that it was better to “trust people’s common sense”.
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However, during a visit to the London Ambulance Service on Monday, the prime minister offered the clearest signal he was going down the route of compulsion, saying the government was looking at the “tools of enforcement”.
Ahead of Tuesday’s announcement by Hancock, a No 10 spokesman said: “There is growing evidence that wearing a face covering in an enclosed space helps protect individuals and those around them from coronavirus.
“The prime minister has been clear that people should be wearing face coverings in shops and we will make this mandatory from July 24.”
The government has been urging people to wear face coverings in confined spaces such as shops since early May and they have already been made compulsory on public transport in England since mid-June.
The regulations will be made under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984, with a maximum fine of £100 – reduced to £50 if it is paid within 14 days.
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Enforcement of the regulations will be the responsibility of the police.
While shop workers will be asked to encourage compliance, retailers and businesses will not be expected to enforce them.
As is the case on public transport, children under 11 and those with certain disabilities will be exempt.
The British Chambers of Commerce said the government needed to issue detailed guidance on the new requirement “as soon as possible”.
“Businesses need clarity on the approach to the wearing of face coverings that is consistent and supported by public health evidence,” said BCC co-executive director Claire Walker.
“Updated guidance, including on enforcement, should be issued swiftly so firms can maintain their Covid-secure status and continue their operations successfully.”
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For Labour, shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said ministers needed to explain why it had taken them so long to act.
“The government has been slow and muddled again over face coverings,” he said.
“Given the government’s own guidance issued on May 11 advised in favour of face masks, many will ask why yet again have ministers been slow in making a decision in this pandemic, and why it’ll take another 11 days before these new guidelines to come into force.”
In the early days of the pandemic, ministers and the government’s scientific advisers repeatedly played down the value of face coverings, saying the evidence on the benefits was thin.
There were also thought to be concerns stocks could be diverted from the NHS at a time of intense pressure on the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) if the public were encouraged to wear them.
However, speaking during his visit to the London Ambulance Service, Johnson said he was now keen to make progress on the issue.
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“As the virus comes down in incidence and we have more and more success, I think face coverings are a kind of extra insurance we can all use to stop it coming back and stop it getting out of control again,” he said.
The president of the Royal Society, Dr Venki Ramakrishnan, said the evidence was now “quite strongly in favour” of using face coverings in enclosed spaces where people are likely to come into contact with strangers.
“I think that the government should be very clear,” he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-13--How I Overcame My Tourette’s To Become A TV Presenter

How I Overcame My Tourette’s To Become A TV Presenter
Growing up is hard at the best of times for most children, but for Aidy Smith, life presented an even bigger challenge. Aidy has Tourette’s Syndrome, a condition that causes him to make involuntary movements and sounds known as tics. This presented Aidy with a difficult childhood as he searched for ways to overcome his condition. Now a successful TV presenter and producer, Aidy wants to raise more awareness of Tourette’s Syndrome and assure other sufferers that they can achieve whatever they want to in life.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-13--Body Found In Search For Missing Glee Star Naya Rivera

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A body has been found body at the California lake where Naya Rivera went missing, US authorities have said.
The former Glee star disappeared last Wednesday after renting a boat with her four-year-old son Josey Hollis at Lake Piru, California.
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Josey was found asleep and wearing a life jacket on the boat, with his mother nowhere to be seen. He told police he had seen her disappear beneath the surface.
A rescue mission was launched but less than 24 hours later police said she was presumed dead.
In a tweet posted on Monday evening, Ventura County Sheriff department said: “A body has been found at Lake Piru this morning.
“The recovery is in progress. There will be a news conference at 2pm at the lake.”
A body has been found at Lake Piru this morning. The recovery is in progress. There will be a news conference at 2 pm at the lake — Ventura Co. Sheriff (@VENTURASHERIFF) July 13, 2020
According to local reports quoting the sheriff’s department, Naya rented a boat at Lake Piru at about 1pm local time. She and her son were swimming, and he was wearing a life vest, but she was not.
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Naya Rivera pictured in 2017 SIPA USA/PA Images
On Thursday morning local time, the Ventura County Sheriff’s office said Naya was presumed dead, stating that the effort to find her was being considered a “search and recovery operation”.
The 33-year-old star is best known for her portrayal of the cheerleader Santana Lopez in all six series of the musical comedy, Glee.
Naya Rivera played Santana on Glee FOX via Getty Images
More recently, she appeared in the TV series Devious Maids, and from 2018, she had a recurring role as Collette Jones in the Step Up: High Water YouTube series.
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Naya also appeared in films including At The Devil’s Door and Mad Families, and embarked on her music career in 2013, releasing the single Sorry, which featured her then-boyfriend Big Sean.
In 2015, Naya welcomed son Josey with then-husband Ryan Dorsey. Naya tweeted a picture of her and the boy together the day before she went missi, which was captioned: “Just the two of us.”
Investigators had stressed the many difficulties posed by the search, including strong currents, dangerous underwater debris and visibility of 1ft-2ft, PA Media reports.
On Sunday, police extended their search to the cabins and outbuildings around the lake – as well as taking another look at the shoreline.
It came after an online petition demanded the search be extended in case Rivera had left the lake.
Police said they were almost certain she was still in the water. Sonar had been used to scan the bottom of the lake while police divers and cadaver dogs also took part in the search.
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Rivera looks increasingly likely to become the third major cast member from Glee to die in their 30s.
Co-star Mark Salling, who Rivera dated at one point, killed himself in 2018 at age 35 after pleading guilty to child pornography charges.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-13--UK Records 11 More Coronavirus Deaths In 24 Hours – Lowest Daily Rise Since Early March

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The number of people who have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus has risen by 11 over 24 hours – the lowest daily rise since early March.
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The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said 44,830 people had died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Sunday, up from 44,819 the previous day.
This is the lowest number reported by DHSC since March 12 – when one death was recorded. But reporting is often lower on weekends and the government figures do not include all deaths involving Covid-19 across the UK, which are thought to have passed 55,500.
The DHSC also said that in the 24-hour period up to 9am on Monday, there had been a further 530 lab-confirmed UK cases. Overall, a total of 290,133 cases have been confirmed.
The figures come as Boris Johnson has urged the public to wear face coverings in shops, and said an announcement on whether their use will be compulsory in England will be made in the coming days.
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Prime minister Boris Johnson, wearing a face mask, talks with a paramedic as they stand inside the back of an ambulance during a visit to the headquarters of the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust in London. ASSOCIATED PRESS
The prime minister said that ministers are considering what “tools of enforcement” could be employed as he described the evidence to support their use to slow the spread of coronavirus as “growing”.
Downing Street said on Monday that a formal review was under way after the government faced calls for clarity on the subject.
But Labour called on the Government to address the “confusion” around the use of non-surgical masks “without delay”.
Stricter measures for shoppers in England could bring the nation into line with Scotland, where first minister Nicola Sturgeon made their use compulsory in shops as of Friday.
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The PM, wearing a covering during a visit to the London Ambulance Service, said they “have a great deal of value in confined spaces” where people are coming into contact with those they do not normally meet.
He said: “Yes face coverings, I think people should be wearing in shops and in terms of how we do that, whether we will be making that mandatory or not we will be looking at the guidance, we will be saying a little bit more in the next few days.
“We will be looking in the next few days about exactly how, with what tools of enforcement, we think we want to make progress.
“As the virus comes down in incidence and we have more and more success, I think face coverings are a kind of extra insurance we can all use to stop it coming back and stop it getting out of control again.”
Meanwhile, Wales’s First Minister Mark Drakeford said the nation would be brought into line with England and Scotland when face coverings are made compulsory on public transport in Wales from July 27.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-13--How The Government Spent Four Months Screwing Up Its Message On Face Coverings

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After months of uncertainty, Tuesday finally saw the government come out with a clear line on the wearing of face coverings in shops to help fight coronavirus: they will become mandatory in England from July 24, with a fine of £100 for people who refuse to put them on.
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Unfortunately, by the time the announcement came, ministers had given so many conflicting opinions on the subject that the Tories’ stance on the subject was about as clear as Dominic Cummings’ eyesight.
As recently as Sunday, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove had said it was “best to trust people’s common sense” rather than tell them what to do – but the very next day justice secretary Robert Buckland said he would support making them mandatory in public. Actually, he said he would “perhaps” support making them mandatory, whatever that means.
Hours later the PM himself appeared on live TV and said coverings “have real value in confined spaces” and that people “should” wear them in shops.
The govt - & the media - have been arguing whether we should wear #facemasks for 4 MONTHS (!) & are still unable to make the obvious decision based on the science & the precautionary principle.
Face masks are mandatory in 120 countries because they reduce the spread of #COVID19. https://t.co/BFHlsmsBOp — Stefan Simanowitz (@StefSimanowitz) July 13, 2020
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This week’s decision comes nearly six months after the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in the UK. So what took so long?
January: ‘Very little evidence’
Way back in January, a blog post from Public Health England said there was “very little evidence of widespread benefit” to wearing a face mask outside clinical settings such as hospitals.
But it also said they should be considered when “visiting a busy enclosed space where you can’t social distance such as a crowded shop” in order to help stop the spread of the virus.
You read that correctly. At the beginning of the year, before even imposing a lockdown was on the cards, never mind lifting one, the government’s premier health body was offering advice that would be applicable just a few weeks later.
April: ‘The science is weak’
Fast forward to April 24, a month into lockdown. Health secretary Matt Hancock had changed tack and, even though the country was in grips of the pandemic, said the evidence on the effectiveness of face masks was “weak” and there were no plans to make them mandatory.
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Now, it’s worth bearing in mind that at the time Hancock also had to consider the shortage of PPE that threatened the NHS. This, however, is not an issue the government currently has to contend with. Face coverings are widely available.
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Also April: ‘They will be useful’
In case you’re under the impression that the smorgasbord of conflicting Tory opinions on face masks is a relatively recent development, then this section will knock your socks off.
Just six days after the above comments from Hancock, Johnson said “face coverings will be useful” as the country came out of lockdown both for “epidemiological reasons” and also “for giving people confidence they can go back to work”.
Still April: ‘One of our most important tools’
While Hancock was insisting the scientific evidence around face masks was “weak”, the actual people compiling that scientific evidence were telling him he was talking rubbish.
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Jeremy Howard, a data scientist who led a global review panel on the effectiveness of masks, said masks “could be one of our most important tools”.
And if you were in any doubt about whether or not he was talking specifically about Hancock, he said: “The evidence does not show at all what he claimed.”
Our team's review of the literature found substantial evidence in favor of widespread mask use to reduce community transmission, based on droplet dynamics, mask material analysis, efficacy studies, and behavioral studies. Here's our paper: https://t.co/DyVtds2sx8 — Jeremy Howard (@jeremyphoward) April 13, 2020
May 10: Nothing
On May 10 the PM spoke to the nation and outlined “the first sketch of a road map” out of the coronavirus lockdown.
Banging his fist on the table and trying his utmost to present the clear message needed by a nation suffering after weeks of unprecedented restrictions, Johnson spoke of a fancy new alert system, unlimited outdoor exercise and the possibility of returning to work.
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And absolutely nothing on face masks.
It would be nice if the government was at least as concerned about our health and safety rather than just about persuading us to go shopping and to work. #Breakfast #facemasks — sarah copeland (@scmuskham) July 13, 2020
May 11: ‘It may protect others’
It wasn’t until the next day that the government issued new guidance that actually mentioned face coverings, suggesting they should be used in enclosed spaces such as shops or public transport where social distancing may not be possible.
The advice reads: “The evidence suggests that wearing a face covering does not protect you, but it may protect others if you are infected but have not developed symptoms.”
But it was still only a suggestion.
And in the spirit of saying you’re following the science when you’re actually not, a few weeks later it was revealed the scientists advising the government had concluded masks should be worn as early as April 21, weeks before the actual guidance was issued.
June 4: ‘We need to ensure every precaution is taken’
And so the situation remained until June 4, when transport secretary Grant Shapps announced masks would be made mandatory on public transport, saying “we need to ensure every precaution is taken” on buses, trains, aircraft and ferries.
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June 5: ...but not in shops
Just a day later, the very same Grant Shapps insisted they should not be made compulsory in shops as they are “clearly a different environment” with people there spending less time next to each other.
At this point, British Medical Association (BMA) council chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul was sufficiently worried to suggest face coverings “should not be restricted to public transport”.
Also June 5: Wear face masks in shops, says the WHO
Then the World Health Organisation stepped into the fray and told governments they should enforce the wearing of face coverings “on public transport, in shops or in other confined or crowded environments”.
Still June 5: Wear face masks in shops hospitals, says the UK
Instead of doing so, the UK government merely introduced the rule for people visiting hospitals – which a lot of people had assumed was already the case, because obviously.
We now have face masks, track & trace & temperature tests for arrivals. All of which other countries did in March. I predict we will soon take people to hospital in time to treat them & use antivirals widely. By the time the pandemic ends, the govt will almost be prepared for it. https://t.co/Da6VPdFP0T — Simon Allison (@simontruetory) June 5, 2020
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The rest of June and the first weeks of July followed an increasingly familiar pattern of someone calling for face coverings to be mandatory in public places, and the government not making them mandatory.
There was London mayor Sadiq Khan.
With lockdown easing, it's our responsibility is to do all we can to prevent a second wave of #COVID19.
There’s no room for complacency when lives are at risk.
That’s why I’m calling on the Government to make face coverings mandatory in all shops and confined public spaces. pic.twitter.com/s3UShdI9jw — Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) June 18, 2020
Leading scientists had a go.
We look at health & economic outcomes of a range of targeted and untargeted testing, tracing & isolation strategies, with and without face coverings – many of which we show could suppress the epidemic whilst also avoiding significant additional lockdown time over next 2yrs. 2/n — Tim Colbourn (@timcolbourn) June 10, 2020
The British Medical Association tried as well.
BMA says with further easing of lockdown in England face coverings in public should be mandatory: “BMA believes face masks or coverings should be worn by the public now as a matter of course, in order to keep the risk of infection as low as possible” — Hugh Pym (@BBCHughPym) June 23, 2020
Scotland, which has reported no new deaths in five days, introduced face masks in shops earlier this month. In England, however, the government response has led to a situation where the following three headlines all appeared during the last 24 hours.
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PA Media
So who exactly is against wearing masks? Why won’t the government just tell people to put them on?
The answer appears to be no one, really. A small minority of people on social media are expressing outrage, but those who “oppose the mandatory wearing of face masks”...
The UK govt is coming under enormous pressure to make wearing a mask when we go out compulsory, as in Scotland.But if enough of us refuse to comply the policy will be unenforceable. So let’s make our voices heard. Please retweet if you oppose the mandatory wearing of face masks — Neil Clark (@NeilClark66) July 8, 2020
... tend to be the same people who think the virus has “petered out” and the whole pandemic is just “Project Fear” (it hasn’t and it isn’t).
No I’m not. You seem to have bought into Project Fear sadly. It’s July. The virus has petered out. There’s no need to make mask wearing compulsory. If you want to wear one, up to you but we shouldn’t be forcing people to wear them in the current circumstances. — Neil Clark (@NeilClark66) July 10, 2020
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-13--The Funniest Tweets From Parents This Week

My 4 year old just got mad at me for not calling myself the Best Mom in the World, so if you’re looking for a life coach who’ll scream at you until you believe in yourself, have I got a recommendation for you.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-13--TV Chef Tom Kerridge Rages At 'Selfish' And 'Disgraceful' Customers Who Failed To Show For Restauran

TV Chef Tom Kerridge Rages At 'Selfish' And 'Disgraceful' Customers Who Failed To Show For Restaurant Bookings

TV chef Tom Kerridge has blasted a “selfish” group of 27 customers who made a booking at his London restaurant this weekend, but ultimately failed to turn up.
Tom criticised the “disgraceful” no-showers for putting jobs at risk during the coronavirus pandemic, at a time when many businesses like his are having to adapt to changes.
Tom Kerridge David M. Benett via Getty Images
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In a post on Instagram, Tom addressed those who failed to cancel their tables at his Kerridge’s Bar At Grill at The Corinthia Hotel in London’s West End on Saturday night, calling them “the worst kind of guest”.
“This industry, like many others is on the verge of collapse,” he wrote.
“Your behaviour is disgraceful, shortsighted and down right unhelpful. All of you ‘no shows’ in all restaurants up and down the country are adding to the issues already being faced.”
The Michelin-starred chef continued: “YOU are putting peoples jobs more at risk. We put staff levels to the number of covers booked and when you fail to turn up, it now costs us, which in turn will force very uncomfortable and hard decisions about staffing levels.
“You are the worst kind of guest, and that is selfish’. I hope you have good look at yourselves.”
Tom, who is known as a chef on TV shows including How To Lose Weight For Good and Food & Drink, also shared a picture of Gerard Butler in the film 300 to further convey his anger.
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Food critic Jay Rayner backed Tom’s words, calling it a “completely justifiable howl of rage”.
He tweeted: “If you book a restaurant, either go or cancel in good time. Don’t be a dick and just not show.”
Over on Instagram @ChefTomKerridge has posted this about the 27 people who booked for @kerridgesbandg on Saturday night and didn’t turn up. It’s a completely justifiable howl of rage. If you book a restaurant, either go or cancel in good time. Don’t be a dick and just not show. pic.twitter.com/w0QATuL2l4 — Jay Rayner (@jayrayner1) July 12, 2020
Restaurants and bars in England were allowed to re-open with social distancing in place, as part of the government’s further easing of the lockdown on 4 July, after having to close their doors in mid-March.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-14--Chinese Mobile Giant Huawei To Be Stripped Out Of UK 5G By 2027

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Chinese telecoms firm Huawei will be banned from installing any new equipment to the UK’s 5G phone network from the end of this year and have all its kit stripped out by 2027, the government has announced.
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Just six months after Boris Johnson granted a limited role for the company in Britain, culture secretary Oliver Dowden confirmed a U-turn that will mean a two-year delay to the expected full rollout of the next generation mobile technology.
Under a new Telecom Security Bill it will be illegal for any company in the UK to install any new Huawei equipment after December 31 this year. Its existing kit will have to be fully removed by 2027.
The current rollout date for UK 5G, scheduled for 2025, will be delayed at a cost of “hundreds of millions of pounds”, Dowden told MPs in a Commons statement.
Tory MPs may fear that the seven years given to fully strip out the Chinese company is too long, but it is understood that the sheer complexity of the system means it is impossible to do so sooner without blackout risks for consumers.
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Dowden said that “disruption and blackouts..was one of the reasons for the timetable we have set out”. “Put bluntly, the shorter the timetable for the removal the higher the risk of that happening,” he said.
There may be controversy too over a separate decision to give UK telecoms firms a full two years to continue stockpiling and using Huawei technology for full-fibre broadband.
With Nokia the only other infrastructure provider for broadband in the British marketplace, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) advised that a delay was needed to allow a switch away from Huawei.
Ian Levy, the agency’s technical director, said in a blog: “We think that Huawei products that are adapted to cope with the [sanctions] are likely to suffer more security and reliability problems because of the massive engineering challenge ahead of them, and it will be harder for us to be confident in their use within our mitigation strategy.”
The National Security Council approved the change on Tuesday after intelligence officials warned that Donald Trump’s latest sanctions against Huawei made it impossible to retain its equipment without risks to national security.
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The government believes that by the time of the next election in 2024 the UK will be on an “irreversible path” towards removing all the Chinese company’s kit from 5g infrastructure.
However, Huawei will be allowed to keep its technology in 2G, 3G and 4G mobile phone technology as that does not pose a security risk.
PA
Ed Brewster, spokesman for Huawei, said the move was “bad news for anyone in the UK with a mobile phone” and threatened to “move Britain into the digital slow lane, push up bills and deepen the digital divide”.
“Regrettably our future in the UK has become politicised, this is about US trade policy and not security.”
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US officials have claimed China could use the company as a gateway to “spy, steal or attack” the UK - a claim vigorously denied by Huawei.
Following a bitter battle within his party, Boris Johnson announced in January that Huawei would be kept out of the sensitive core of the 5G network and limited to 35% market share of its other parts.
But Trump’s new sanctions imposed in May, which ban Huawei from buying all US semi computer chips, were viewed as a “game changer”.
The result is that any new chips used by the company would be different from those previously deemed to be a manageable risk to the UK.
Boris Johnson pledged in the Tory manifesto in 2019 to deliver full fibre broadband by 2025 and it is understood that deadline will remain unaffected.
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Dowden told MPs: “Following US sanctions against Huawei and updated technical advice from our cyber experts, the government has decided it is necessary to ban Huawei from our 5G networks.
“No new kit is to be added from January 2021, and UK 5G networks will be Huawei free by the end of 2027. This decisive move provides the industry with the clarity and certainty it needs to get on with delivering 5G across the UK.
“By the time of the next election we will have implemented in law an irreversible path for the complete removal of Huawei equipment from our 5G networks.”
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said that five years would be a better timetable for the total removal of Huawei technology and asked why 3G and 4G would be unaffected by the changes.
Tory backbencher Bob Seely said the move did signal “the long goodbye of Huawei” from the UK but “seven years is a very long time in politics and it would be better to be done sooner”.
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Former defence minister Tobias Ellwood warned the UK had to work with other Western nations to prepare for any retaliation by Beijing.
Shadow digital, science and technology minister Chi Onwurah said the government’s “approach to our 5G capability, Huawei and our national security has been incomprehensibly negligent”.
The NCSC said in a statement that the changes do not directly affect people who use Huawei smartphones, laptops and tablets, but it warned that the US sanctions will have a major impact on new purchases.
“From now on, new Huawei devices won’t be able to use Google applications or services; for example: the Play Store, Maps, YouTube or Google Assistant,” it said.
BT’s EE mobile network features Huawei in the core of its 4G and 5G networks, but the firm is in the process of replacing it with Ericsson’s products, and has promised to do so by the end of 2023.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-14--Judge Denies Trump Family's Attempt To Block Niece From Promoting Tell-All Book

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The Trump family’s attempt to squash the release of a tell-all book by Mary Trump, the niece of Donald Trump, has been denied.
On Monday, a judge in New York lifted a restraining order that prevented the president’s niece from publicising her new book, “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man.”
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Previously, a judge ruled that Simon & Schuster could publish the book but that Mary Trump couldn’t promote it because of a nondisclosure agreement she signed decades ago to settle the estate of her grandfather, Fred Trump Sr.
Judge Hal Greenwald wrote that the confidentiality clause she signed was too broad, with “too many words, with too many meanings” Deadline reported.
Greenwald’s ruling came a day before the book is scheduled to be officially released.
Mary Trump’s attorney, Ted Boutrous, praised the ruling in a three-part tweet, saying “the court got it right in rejecting the Trump family’s effort to squelch Mary Trump’s core political speech on important issues of public concern.”
“Tomorrow, the American public will be able to read Mary’s important words for themselves,” he added.
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Justice Greenwald has denied the Trump family’s effort to block Mary Trump’s book. Link to decision here. https://t.co/OpJE4ihEqM. 1/3 — Ted Boutrous (@BoutrousTed) July 13, 2020
My statement: “The court got it right in rejecting the Trump family’s effort to squelch Mary Trump’s core political speech on important issues of public concern. The First Amendment forbids prior restraints because they are intolerable infringements on the right to . . . 2/3 — Ted Boutrous (@BoutrousTed) July 13, 2020
. . . participate in democracy. Tomorrow, the American public will be able to read Mary’s important words for themselves.” 3/3 — Ted Boutrous (@BoutrousTed) July 13, 2020
Mary Trump’s spokesperson, Chris Bastardi, also praised the ruling while throwing a little shade toward her relatives in the White House.
Statement from @chrisbastardi, spokesman for Mary Trump:
“Now that the unconstitutional gag order has finally been lifted, we are sure the White House and America are looking forward to finally hearing what Mary has to say.” — Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) July 13, 2020
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-14--Millions Could Be Made Jobless Due To Coronavirus, Fiscal Watchdog Says

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Millions of people could be left unemployed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic as the government’s furlough scheme is unwound, the UK’s fiscal watchdog has projected.
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The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) outlined three scenarios in which unemployment hits levels only seen twice in the last 50 years – in the mid-1980s and early 1990s recessions.
Underpinning all scenarios is the projection that the UK is set to suffer the largest decline in gross domestic product (GDP) for 300 years, leading to a “massive” rise in the government’s budget deficit and an “unprecedented” peacetime rise in borrowing.
Overall, the UK economy may not fully recover from the coronavirus crisis until 2024.
How high will unemployment rise? That depends in part on how many furloughed workers lose their jobs rather than returning to them #OBRFSR2020 pic.twitter.com/sFSMcQ6i7F — Office for Budget Responsibility (@OBR_UK) July 14, 2020
In the worst case scenario, unemployment will rise from its current rate of around 4% to peak at 13% early next year, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR).
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Even in the best case scenario, unemployment will balloon to 10% in autumn this year, while in the “central” scenario it will hit 12% towards the end of 2020.
By contrast, unemployment hit nearly 12% in 1984 and close to 11% in 1992, prompting Labour to say the figures were “very worrying”.
In all three scenarios, the unemployment rate depends on how many people return to work after being furloughed.
In the worst case scenario, one in five workers currently furloughed will be left unemployed when the scheme is fully lifted in October.
All three projections depend on how much long-term economic “scarring” the pandemic causes.
The OBR says it is “highly uncertain” to predict this, as it depends on the course of the pandemic, the development of effective vaccines and treatments, the speed and consistency with which lockdown restrictions can be eased and the effectiveness of policy to protect businesses, foster new opportunities and sustain jobs.
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How quickly will the economy recover and how much ‘scarring’ will there be in the medium term? #OBRFSR2020 sets out three scenarios pic.twitter.com/VSYFKNyWL0 — Office for Budget Responsibility (@OBR_UK) July 14, 2020
But the outlook would have been “much worse” without the measures taken by the government to provide financial support to individuals and businesses through the lockdown.
These “should also help to limit any long-term economic ‘scarring’, by keeping workers attached to firms and helping otherwise viable firms stay in business”, the OBR notes.
Borrowing - the amount of money the government spends over the amount it takes in, will increase to between 13% and 21% of GDP, with the OBR currently predicting borrowing of £322bn.
The OBR says as a result “it seems likely” that chancellor Rishi Sunak will need to either hike taxes, cut spending, or both, to put the public finances on a sustainable path.
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Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds said: “This OBR analysis is very worrying. Unless the government takes urgent action, the UK’s unemployment crisis is going to get much worse.
“The chancellor must now listen to calls from Labour, business and trade unions and make the job retention (furlough) scheme live up to its name.
“Instead of withdrawing support across the piece, he must target it to sectors where it’s needed most.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-14--Alesha Dixon Blasts ‘Toxic’ Tabloid Story Claiming She Was Confronted By Simon Cowell’s Girlfriend L

Alesha Dixon Blasts ‘Toxic’ Tabloid Story Claiming She Was Confronted By Simon Cowell’s Girlfriend Lauren Silverman

The former Mis-teeq star, who is on the BGT judging panel alongside Simon, insisted Lauren had been “nothing but gracious” to her and her family.
Alesha branded the story, published in The Sun, “negative” and “toxic” and referenced the treatment Caroline Flack was subjected to by certain sections of the press before her death in February.
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Alesha Dixon and Lauren Silverman Rex
“First class journalism at its best again!” Alesha tweeted.
“Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story! How long can they keep getting away with this negative, toxic behaviour! Lauren has been nothing but gracious to my family! Have you learnt nothing from Caroline’s passing! #bekind”
First class journalism at its best again! Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story! How long can they keep getting away with this negative, toxic behaviour! Lauren has been nothing but gracious to my family! Have you learnt nothing from Caroline’s passing! #bekind — Alesha Dixon (@AleshaOfficial) July 14, 2020
As well as her role on Britain’s Got Talent, Alesha recently landed a spot on the panel for America’s Got Talent: The Champions, and has admitted she would love to work more in the US once travel restrictions have been lifted.
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She said: “The world is on lockdown but I can’t wait for it to be over so I can hopefully go back out to America and see what other opportunities there are out there for me.”
As well as her TV work, Alesha is also back in the studio working on new music.
Last month she confirmed she was working on her fourth solo album, the follow up to 2015’s Do It For Love.
Alesha Dixon arrives at auditions for Britain's Got Talent. Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP
“I was in the middle of writing some great, really authentic songs, really honest,” she told Bizarre.
“Some of them were actually inspired by this whole craziness that’s been going on in the world.
“I’m ready for the next record. I really want to make a heartfelt, honest record that really has something to say. I’m excited to get back, so fingers crossed.”
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She added: “I was in the studio writing and then Boris Johnson said lockdown and the session had to stop.
“I got a text the other day from the producer asking if I felt ready to go back in the studio.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-14--What We Know About The Long-Term Impact Of 'Mild' Covid-19

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At the beginning of the pandemic, it was widely accepted that people with Covid-19 would, on average, recover in two weeks – but experts are slowly beginning to realise this isn’t always the case.
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The Covid-19 Symptom Study suggests only 52% of people in the UK have recovered within 13 days, meaning hundreds are struggling for longer. Dubbed the ‘long-haulers’, these people are desperate for their voices to be heard when it comes to their experiences of ‘long Covid’.
People suffering long-term include those who had severe cases of coronavirus – and ended up in intensive care – as well as those who had ‘mild’ cases, and either stayed at home, or went to hospital but weren’t in intensive care.
As the virus is still so new, experts are only just beginning to learn what the long-term effects of mild Covid-19 are. The government has launched a study into the long-term health impacts of coronavirus – but only on hospitalised patients. Those who struggled with the virus at home are yet to be examined.
Professor Louise Wain, GSK / British Lung Foundation chair in respiratory research at the University of Leicester, who is involved with the ongoing study, said: “We anticipate that the results of our study may be relevant to individuals who were not hospitalised and who had mild disease, but who might also be suffering from, or at risk of developing, longer-term effects.”
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What do we know about the impact of mild Covid-19 so far?
While there’s limited research in the area, we do know people with mild Covid-19 can experience a wide variety of symptoms months after becoming ill. The Covid-19 Symptom Study found a group of people continue to experience fatigue, headaches, coughs, loss of smell, sore throats, delirium, and chest pain after three weeks. In some cases, symptoms come and go, and then return in full force. For others they appear to get better over time, albeit very slowly.
A poll from the Netherlands revealed that almost three months after the first symptoms of the virus, more than nine in 10 people reported having problems with simple daily activities. Of the 1,622 people with suspected coronavirus who took part in the survey, 91% hadn’t been hospitalised and 43% hadn’t been diagnosed by a doctor.
In Italy, which saw a spike in infections ahead of the UK, a picture is emerging of the longer-term effects of coronavirus, including psychosis, insomnia, kidney disease, spinal infections, stroke, chronic tiredness and mobility issues. Italian doctors said even those with mild illness are at risk of having their lives changed forever.
“Now we see a significant proportion of the population with chronic damage from the virus,” Dr Roberto Cosentini, head of emergencies at Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital in Bergamo, told Sky News.
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Are there long-term effects on the brain?
A small study found some people who tested positive for Covid-19 showed neurological and neuropsychiatric illness – this was the case in both severe and mild cases.
Of 43 patients analysed, 10 had brain disease with delirium or psychosis, 12 had inflammation, and nine had acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (a rare neurological disorder which results in swelling in the brain and spinal cord). Eight had strokes and a further eight had peripheral nerve problems.
In a report on long Covid symptoms conducted in the US by patients themselves, neurological symptoms that cropped up repeatedly included: brain fog, concentration challenges, memory loss, seizures, dizziness and problems with balance, and insomnia. Brain fog and concentration challenges were a more common symptom than cough during most weeks, as was insomnia.
Dr David Strain, a clinician at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and a clinical academic from the University of Exeter, ran a Covid-19 ward for people who didn’t require intensive care treatment for their symptoms.
He tells HuffPost UK there’s a “whole group of people” who had mild Covid symptoms – many of them had little more than a mild flu-like illness or two or three days-worth of illness – that have been “left with neurological effects”.
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“We’ve seen people taking incremental steps towards dementia,” he says. Older adults who had normal brain function are now presenting with symptoms in keeping with dementia, he adds, such as slower mental function, challenges with memory and the inability to process simple tasks like cooking a meal.
There have also been patients who presented to hospital with delirium when they first came down with the virus – so sudden confusion, agitation, and derangement. Those individuals would normally get better within a week to 10 days of the infection resolving, says Dr Strain, but in some cases people are still struggling a number of weeks down the line.
Can mild Covid affect the lungs and heart?
Not much is known about the impact on the lungs and heart among those with mild Covid-19, however studies in hospitalised patients have shown these are areas of concern in terms of recovery. Some people have ended up with heart problems and/or lung damage following infection.
A study of 40 non-severe (mild) and 17 severe cases in China revealed 31 patients (54.4%) had abnormal findings on CT scans of their lungs. While the rate of abnormalities was much higher in severe cases (94.1% had abnormalities), in the mild group, 37.5% still showed abnormalities.
Even patients considered asymptomatic – where they show no symptoms at all – have been found to have “significant changes” to their lungs on CT scans.
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Treating these issues is hard because the virus is still so new. “Because there’s no similar condition out there, we genuinely don’t know how to treat these people,” says Dr Strain. “One of the most disturbing things about these lasting complications is that they don’t appear to be related to the severity of the disease at the time.”
Dr Strain recalls how two of his patients in their late 30s and early 40s only had mild flu-like symptoms back in March, but both have ended up with “quite significant complications”. One of them is unable to go out walking without experiencing shortness of breath. These effects don’t appear to be limited to a certain age group, he says: “This is affecting anybody.”
So, what now?
More research needs to be done in this area – and in the meantime, those with mild Covid-19 and a long tail of symptoms need to feel supported.
Long-term implications are important to understand because a study on SARS (an illness caused by another type of coronavirus) in Hong Kong found that two years after having it, one in two patients had poorer health outcomes and exercise capacity and only 78% of survivors had returned to work.
The difference is that there were 8,096 SARS cases globally, with 900 deaths. At the time of writing, there were almost 13m confirmed Covid-19 cases globally and 567,000 deaths, with 5.8m people thought to have recovered.
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Dr Strain is urging people to “try not to get it [Covid-19] in the first place” and advocates for the use of face masks in public settings. He says those who suspect they caught Covid-19 and are struggling with neurological symptoms like brain fog and confusion should get checked out.
There is some positive news, however. “When it comes to Covid, we know that people are responding to exercise programmes, albeit much slower,” he says, meaning people are gradually building their strength back up after having the virus.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-14--Idris Elba Describes Traumatic Impact Coronavirus Diagnosis Had On His Mental Health

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Idris Elba has spoken about the traumatic effect his coronavirus diagnosis had on his mental health.
Back in March, Idris was one of the first high-profile stars to disclose that they had tested positive for Covid-19.
And while the Luther star has said that he was asymptomatic, so didn’t feel the physical effects that many others with coronavirus have experienced, the illness did take its toll on him mentally.
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“I was asymptomatic so I didn’t get the major symptoms everyone else got,” he told Radio Times. “Mentally, it hit me very bad, because a lot was unknown about it.
Idris at the Cats premiere last year ANGELA WEISS via Getty Images
Idris continued: “I felt very compelled to speak about it, just because it was such an unknown.
“So the mental impact of that on both myself and my wife was pretty traumatic.”
He added that ultimately he “needed the lockdown” in order to “get over it”, commenting: “And it turns out the world actually probably needed the lockdown, too.”
Idris shared his diagnosis days after Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson also spoke about having tested positive for Covid-19, admitting that the Oscar-winning star had motivated him to speak publicly about the illness.
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“I’m really proud of Tom Hanks, who is also someone in the public eye, who came out and said they have it and been public about it,” he told his Twitter followers during a lockdown Q&A.
“I was definitely motivated by Tom’s move there.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-14--Scooby-Doo Writer James Gunn Says Studio Axed Velma's 'Explicitly Gay' Storyline

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Scooby-Doo writer James Gunn would’ve gotten away with making Velma Dinkley “explicitly gay” in the live-action films – if it weren’t for those meddling studio executives.
When the beloved cartoon hit the big screen in the early 2000s, James initially intended to make a more mature film, geared toward adults who’d grown up with Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby, with the gang played by, respectively, Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Linda Cardellini, Matthew Lillard and Neil Fanning.
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Part of his vision, he has revealed, was to make Velma gay in his films ― the LGBTQ community has long claimed the bespectacled detective as one of their own ― until Warner Bros intervened, that is.
The live-action cast of Scooby-Doo warnerbrosuk
Responding to a fan on Twitter who called for James to make their “live-action lesbian Velma dreams come true,” the Guardians Of The Galaxy director revealed that had actually been his plan all along.
“I tried! In 2001 Velma was explicitly gay in my initial script,” he replied on Sunday night.
“But the studio just kept watering it down and watering it down, becoming ambiguous (the version shot), then nothing (the released version), and finally having a boyfriend (the sequel).”
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I tried! In 2001 Velma was explicitly gay in my initial script. But the studio just kept watering it down & watering it down, becoming ambiguous (the version shot), then nothing (the released version) & finally having a boyfriend (the sequel). 😐 https://t.co/Pxho6Ju1oQ — James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 13, 2020
In the critically-panned 2004 follow-up, Monsters Unleashed, Velma falls for museum creator Patrick, prompting her to undergo a Daphne-assisted makeover, which sees sees the character ditching her signature turtleneck for an orange-leather catsuit.
In a separate tweet, James added that deleted scenes from the first film hint at what he was trying to accomplish with Velma’s character in the original script before the studio stepped in.
On the 15th anniversary of the first film back in 2017, James detailed how Warner Bros turned his screenplay into a “clean-cut children’s film”.
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“I had loved the character of Scooby-Doo since I was a kid and was excited at the prospect of making a live action film with 2002′s cutting CGI technology,” the 53-year-old wrote in a lengthy Facebook post.
“Yes, it was not exactly what we planned going out ― I had written an edgier film geared toward older kids and adults, and the studio ended pushing it into a clean-cut children’s film. And, yes, the rumours are true ― the first cut was rated R by the MPAA, and the female stars’ cleavage was CGI’d away so as not to offend.”
And while a third film in the franchise was cancelled after the sequel underperformed, that hasn’t stopped James from cooking up some ideas for future adventures.
Earlier this year, James revealed he would’ve taken the Mystery Inc. sleuths on a wild ride in the third film that would’ve forced the gang to come to terms “with their own prejudices & narrow belief systems.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-14--Hillary Clinton: Trump Revealed The 1 Thing He’s Fearful About With Roger Stone Clemency

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Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said there’s a reason Donald Trump granted clemency to longtime adviser Roger Stone: It’s to block the one thing he fears most.
Stone was convicted last year on seven counts related to the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US election, including witness tampering, lying to Congress and obstruction. But last week, Trump commuted Stone’s 40-month sentence.
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“It’s a continuation of the cover-up,” Clinton said on “The Daily Show” on Monday. “Because the one thing that Trump is fearful of when it comes to his being president is that finally, we will see how illegitimate his victory actually was.”
Clinton said that Trump fears that people will see that he was involved in the effort to obtain and use foreign help to win the presidency, and Stone, she said, was critical to that effort.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-14--Grant Imahara, MythBusters Presenter, Dies Aged 49

MythBusters star Grant Imahara has died at the age of 49.
On Monday evening, The Hollywood Reporter broke the news of Grant’s death, reporting that he had “died suddenly” following a brain aneurysm.
This was then confirmed by Discovery, the production company behind MythBusters.
“We are heartbroken to hear this sad news about Grant,” a spokesperson for the company said. “He was an important part of our Discovery family and a really wonderful man. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”
Grant Imahara at the official Star Trek convention in 2015 Albert L. Ortega via Getty Images
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Grant originally trained as an electrical engineer, working with LucasFilm on the Star Wars prequel trilogy, where he helped update the R2-D2 robots for a new audience.
He also collaborated on films like AI: Artificial Intelligence, Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines and the two Matrix sequels.
From there, he then made the move in front of the camera, joining MythBusters for its third series in 2005, where he put his robot-building skills to use.
He stayed with the show for nine years, eventually stepping down in 2014, after which he joined the Netflix original series White Rabbit Project, where he once again teamed up with his former MythBusters colleagues Kari Byron and Tory Belleci.
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Grant, Kari and Tory in 2011 /MediaPunch/IPx
His former co-presenter Kari Byron has paid her respects to Grant on social media, tweeting several photos alongside the message: “Sometimes I wish I had a time machine... We had so many adventures. You taught me so much.”
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We had so many adventures. You taught me so much. pic.twitter.com/okxnTtpLjf — Kari Byron (@KariByron) July 14, 2020
Tory Belleci also tweeted: “I just cannot believe it. I don’t even know what to say. My heart is broken. Goodbye buddy.”
I just cannot believe it. I don’t even know what to say. My heart is broken. Goodbye buddy @grantimahara pic.twitter.com/HkLYaBK1dw — Tory Belleci (@ToryBelleci) July 14, 2020
Grant’s other work included judging BattleBots – the US version of Robot Wars – on which he’d previously competed.
In 2018, Disney imagineers announced a new type of animatronic, dubbed Stuntronics, was being introduced to their theme parks, which Grant had collaborated with them on.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-14--Coronavirus: Experts Warn Of 120,000 Deaths This Winter In Worst Case Scenario

He said action that was needed before winter sets in included flu vaccination for the vulnerable and health and social care workers.
NHS Test and Trace must be “upscaled in the winter”, he added, saying more people will need to be tested as winter illnesses can often have similar symptoms to Covid-19.
He also called for a “rapid system of monitoring” in the UK to stop local outbreaks when they occur.
The team also looked at less serious scenarios of what may happen, with an R rate of 1.1 leading to 1,300 hospital deaths between September and June.
They also modelled an R of 1.5, which would lead to 74,800 hospital deaths.
Prof Azra Ghani, chairwoman in infectious disease epidemiology at Imperial College London who worked on the study, said many things could push the R up to 1.7.
She told the PA news agency: “We are looking at what would be the worst that would happen, such as if there was a further relaxing of interventions, more contacts taking place, schools may be a factor, people going back to work and that sort of thing.
“Those things create more contacts, plus people will be indoors more and more people will want to meet up indoors.”
She said the virus was known to spread more easily indoors “and, of course, during the winter, we spend far more time indoors than we do during the summer”.
She added: “In addition, we’re less likely to have our windows open, doors tend to be closed to keep out the cold, and that will again enhance transmission.
“It’s also possible that the virus itself could survive for longer in colder conditions.”
The report said NHS and social care facilities must continue with Covid-19 and Covid-19-free zones, and ensure there is adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff, alongside testing and infection control measures.
It comes after health secretary Matt Hancock told the National Pharmacy Association’s conference on Monday that the government had procured enough flu vaccine to roll out the “biggest flu vaccine programme in history”.
A government spokesman said: “The modelling in this report represents a worst-case scenario based on no government action, and makes clear this isn’t a prediction.
“Thanks to the nation’s collective efforts, the virus is being brought under control. However we remain vigilant and the government will ensure the necessary resources are in place to avoid a second peak that would overwhelm our NHS.
“This includes extensive winter planning to protect the NHS and care sector, further expanding our large-scale testing capacity, contacting thousands through NHS Test and Trace, working intensively on new treatments, and delivering billions of items of PPE to protect our health and social care workers.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-14--Trump Suggests A Biden Presidency Would Be 'Ratings' Nightmare

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Donald Trump warned his social media followers that a Joe Biden presidency could mean “no ratings,” and asked: “Is this what you want for your President???”
Trump, in a familiar Monday morning Twitter tear, quote-tweeted a video of Biden shared by White House social media aide Dan Scavino. If Biden wins in November, Trump added, “media will go down along with our great USA!”
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Is this what you want for your President??? With no ratings, media will go down along with our great USA! https://t.co/dtJm3J2BPr — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 13, 2020
The Trump administration’s unending drama of crises, scandals, leaks and attacks on Democratic institutions over the last three and a half years have driven a surge in news audiences, almost certainly ensuring that the next president’s TV ratings will decrease.
Trump dominates the news with now-familiar storylines: his weak grasp on the coronavirus pandemic, which has led to records in daily infections; his disregard for his own government’s social distancing guidelines with a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that was “likely” responsible for a surge in coronavirus cases; his failure to respond to intelligence reports that Russia offered bounties to the Taliban for killing US troops.
Trump also has won a central place in coverage of the protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd, which prompted a movement against racial inequality and police brutality. The president responded by condemning protesters, trying to shift the conversation to Confederate statues and rushing to Mount Rushmore for Fourth of July fireworks ― ignoring concerns about the coronavirus (and the protests of Native Americans who live in the area).
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Books written by people close to Trump ― or who used to be close to him ― also feed the news media machinery. Mary Trump, his niece, alleges that Trump cheated his way into college and threatened to disown his son Donald Trump Jr. if he joined the military (among other things) in her memoir set to be published on Tuesday. Former national security adviser John Bolton’s book is rife with corruption claims, including the allegation that the president sought help from China to win reelection.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-14--John Legend Calls Kanye West's Presidential Bid Into Question: 'It's Life And Death'

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John Legend is speaking out on the dangers of electing “someone who doesn’t know how to run the government” after longtime friend Kanye West announced his presidential bid.
The Bigger Love singer, who performed at a virtual fundraiser for former Vice President Joe Biden last month, shared a lengthy Twitter thread Monday about the responsibility public figures have to voice their political beliefs.
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His comments arrived hours after Chance the Rapper defended West’s run and sparked backlash over a series of tweets, in which he suggested that the Yeezy designer was a more trustworthy candidate than Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee.
While Legend noted that not all artists should feel compelled to speak out about politics (“If you’re more comfortable just making bops, do that!”), he encouraged those who do to educate themselves first.
“If you are going to speak out, try to do your homework. Read about it. Talk to activists and organizers and people impacted,” he wrote. “Be open to evolution and changing your mind. Be intentional and strategic. And think about the impact of your words on the real lives of real people.”
If you are going to speak out, try to do your homework. Read about it. Talk to activists and organizers and people impacted. Be open to evolution and changing your mind. Be intentional and strategic. And think about the impact of your words on the real lives of real people — John Legend (@johnlegend) July 13, 2020
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Without mentioning Kanye by name, the singer plainly stated that endorsing a third-party candidate ignores “real world implications” at play, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Part of an artist’s job is to imagine a different future. I appreciate the desire to break free from the strictures of the 2-party system in America, for instance,” he continued. “But you can’t divorce that conversation from the real world implications of rooting for a futile 3rd party bid.”
The ramifications of electing or reelecting an unqualified candidate, Legend said, are “particularly urgent and impactful in the middle of a pandemic that’s been so much more deadly due to an incompetent President.”
Part of an artist's job is to imagine a different future. I appreciate the desire to break free from the strictures of the 2-party system in America, for instance. But you can't divorce that conversation from the real world implications of rooting for a futile 3rd party bid. — John Legend (@johnlegend) July 13, 2020
And the real world implications of electing (or reelecting) someone who doesn't know how to run the government are particularly urgent and impactful in the middle of a pandemic that's been so much more deadly due to an incompetent President — John Legend (@johnlegend) July 13, 2020
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Legend concluded: “This is not merely an intellectual exercise. It’s life and death.”
West announced his plans to run for president in 2020 as a third-party candidate earlier this month in an apparent challenge to Biden and President Donald Trump, whom he previously supported, despite missing the deadlines to appear on the ballot in a handful of states.
In a subsequent interview with Forbes, he expanded on his beliefs, taking anti-vaccine and anti-abortion stances, as well as blaming the coronavirus outbreak on society.
Legend and West previously clashed in 2018 over the rapper’s support for Trump with West tweeting out a private conversation he had with the singer about their political differences.
John Legend and Kanye West attend the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards. Christopher Polk/MTV1415 via Getty Images
While the two seemed to move on from the public scuffle since then, Legend recently said that they were now in “different places,” noting that politics was never an element of their past relationship.
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“I don’t think we’re less friends because of the Trump thing. I just think we’re doing our own thing,” the singer told The Times in May.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-14--Tributes Paid To Glee Star Naya Rivera After Death Is Confirmed By Police

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Tributes have been paid to former Glee star Naya Rivera, following her death at the age of 33.
The actor went missing last week during a boating trip at Lake Piru in Southern California with her four-year-old son, Josey Hollis.
On Monday, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office confirmed her body had been found.
Naya Rivera SIPA USA/PA Images
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Shortly after the news was announced, there was a flood of tributes to the star, who was best known for playing high school cheerleader Santana Lopez on Glee.
Her co-stars on the musical-comedy series were among those paying tribute.
Demi Lovato, who played Rivera’s on-screen girlfriend on the show, said she will “forever cherish” starring alongside her.
RIP Naya Rivera. I’ll forever cherish the opportunity to play your girlfriend on Glee. The character you played was groundbreaking for tons of closeted (at the time) queer girls like me, and your ambition and accomplishments were inspiring to Latina women all over the world. pic.twitter.com/oCML03M9Kw — Team Demi (@ddlovato) July 14, 2020
The singer posted pictures of the pair on set together and said: “The character you played was groundbreaking for tons of closeted (at the time) queer girls like me, and your ambition and accomplishments were inspiring to Latina women all over the world.”
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She added: “My heart goes out to your loved ones at this time.”
Darren Criss played Blaine Anderson on Glee and paid tribute to a “wild, hilarious, beautiful angel”.
She was bold. She was outrageous. She was a LOT of fun.
Naya made me laugh like no one else on that set. I always said it while we were working together and I’ve maintained it ever since. Her playful, wicked sense of humor never ceased to bring a smile to my face. — Darren Criss (@DarrenCriss) July 14, 2020
He tweeted: “She played by her own rules and was in a class of her own. She had a brashness about her that I couldn’t help but be enchanted by. I also always loved her voice, and savoured every chance I got to hear her sing. I think she had more talent than we would have ever been able to see.”
He added: “And even as I sit here, struggling to comprehend, gutted beyond description- the very thought of her cracks me up and still brings a smile to my face. That was Naya’s gift. And it’s a gift that will never go away.”
Jane Lynch, who played ruthless cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, tweeted: “Rest sweet, Naya. What a force you were. Love and peace to your family.”
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Rest sweet, Naya. What a force you were. Love and peace to your family. — Jane Lynch (@janemarielynch) July 13, 2020
Chris Colfer shared a lengthy tribute on Instagram, celebrating his more than 10-year friendship with Rivera.
He wrote: “Her brilliance and humour were unmatched. Her beauty and talent were otherworldly. She spoke truth to power with poise and fearlessness. She could turn a bad day into a great day with a single remark.
“She inspired and uplifted people without even trying. Being close to her was both a badge of honour and a suit of armour. Naya was truly one of a kind, and she always will be.”
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Chris, who played Kurt Hummel, added: “Sending all my love to her wonderful family and her beautiful son.”
Lea Michele played Rachel Berry and posted a black and white picture of Rivera to her Instagram Story, as well as an image of Glee cast members at a beach.
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Nene Leakes had a recurring role in the show. She posted a series of pictures with Rivera and said she had been “praying for a miracle”.
She wrote: “I wanted you to come home to your baby so bad. This hurts! I will hold the memories close to my heart and remember the good times, the laughs and the way we would cut up on set. Those were fun times! Please pray for Naya’s family.”
Figures from across the entertainment industry also paid tribute.
Steven Canals is the co-creator of TV series Pose, which is set in the ballroom culture scene of the 1980s.
He praised her portrayal of Santana, an LGBT character.
I'll never be able to articulate the importance of seeing Naya, a Black Puerto Rican, portraying a queer Afro-Latina on primetime TV. I'm heartbroken over all the stories that will remain untold. #RIPNayaRivera pic.twitter.com/UGq2rDwWay — Steven Canals (@StevenCanals) July 13, 2020
“I’ll never be able to articulate the importance of seeing Naya, a Black Puerto Rican, portraying a queer Afro-Latina on primetime TV. I’m heartbroken over all the stories that will remain untold,” he wrote.
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Singer Bebe Rexha described Naya’s death as an “absolute nightmare”.
She tweeted: “I had the pleasure of having dinner with her once after a recording session we did together and she was an absolute sweetheart. My heart goes out to her family and friends. I hope I’m lucky enough to meet you up in heaven.”
This is an absolute nightmare. I had the pleasure of having dinner with her once after a recording session we did together and she was an absolute sweetheart. My heart goes out to her family and friends. I hope I’m lucky enough to meet you up in heaven. Rest In Peace Naya Rivera — Bebe Rexha (@BebeRexha) July 13, 2020
I had the opportunity to work with the one and only #nayarivera. So much talent. Deeply saddened and touched. Please, let her have peace, Lord. 💔💔💔 — Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) July 13, 2020
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Naya Rivera was truly a light and showed us all how to be unapologetically ourselves. We send our most heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and fans in this difficult time. Rest in peace, #NayaRivera pic.twitter.com/jmkJRFXMKs — RuPaul's Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) July 13, 2020
Thank you for what you gave the world. I love you. pic.twitter.com/CFNmwgtSva — Kristin Chenoweth (@KChenoweth) July 13, 2020