thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-28--Your Household Doesn't Agree On Lockdown Rules. Now What?

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We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
Over the past few weeks, the lockdown guidelines have slowly changed for people in England, after some initial confusion.
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People would be forgiven for being a little hazy when it comes to knowing exactly what they can and can’t do. Where once the rules were simple – “stay at home as much as possible” – now, things are less straightforward.
You could argue people are interpreting the guidelines differently, or you might say some are brazenly flouting them. Either way, what happens when you’re living in a household where you don’t agree with what other people are doing?
It’s a challenge faced by thousands up and down the country. You want to keep the peace in your home – so, what can you do?
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Don’t ignore it, have a chat
Firstly, it’s worth sitting down with the person and having a casual chat, says Julia Esteve Boyd, known as The Etiquette Consultant. You don’t want people to feel uncomfortable – or do anything to cause offence – but you should make your voice heard. “This situation is unprecedented and people react in different ways – from one extreme to another and everything in between,” she says.
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Among her clients, she’s seeing a “huge amount of anxiety and uncertainty” while others have “little concern at all”. It’s this divide that makes it hard for those who live under the same roof.
While there’s no golden rule to approaching this subject, most people respond well to a direct approach, says Esteve Boyd. “Tell them that you don’t feel the same and that you want to set some boundaries that you can both respect,” she advises.
Pick your time wisely
Professor Mike Berry, a clinical forensic psychologist, says you shouldn’t drop the conversation on them at an inconvenient time. ”Don’t do it in a heated discussion or when the person is tired,” he says.
“It might be worth doing it when the issue is being discussed on the news, for example. Or in the presence of their girlfriend, boyfriend or someone else.” They may be more open to listening to your point of view if they’re in the right headspace.
Discuss solutions, not just the problem
Explain your concerns, whatever they may be, and how it’s affecting you. And work together on a compromise. For example, if they’re mixing households but you don’t feel comfortable doing that, you could discuss what measures could be taken when they arrive home.
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“If you have a flatmate who has respect for you – no matter the differing opinions – then hopefully you can come to a mutual understanding,” Esteve Boyd adds.
Ponomariova_Maria via Getty Images
Generally, people don’t respond too well to being given orders, so avoid this. Esteve Boyd suggests humour can work in a situation like this: “Joking about some new sanitising rules that you are imposing at home may suffice.”
And Berry says it’s better to speak to them on a personal level, rather than referring to the general population – i.e. tell them how it is making you feel and affecting you, rather than dishing out details on national data.
Be compassionate
It’s important to remember the person may be interpreting the rules differently because they’re struggling to deal with the situation. “It could be that they need some support to encourage them through it – so perhaps compassion is the answer,” adds the etiquette expert.
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In some parts of the UK, especially more deprived areas, young people have been struggling to stay indoors due to overcrowded conditions at home. Youth charity Connect Stars spoke to 130 people aged between 13 and 24 across the London borough of Brent who were not adhering to social distancing rules. One young person told volunteers they were “just looking for an escape from my family”.
Others may struggle with the thought of going outside after lockdown – even though restrictions have been eased – and prefer to stay indoors as much as possible.
Focus on what you can control
There may be a situation where the person you live with doesn’t listen to your concerns. If so, there’s little you can do. While you could report them to the authorities, says Boyd, it’s likely you’ll burn bridges in the process. Perhaps not the best solution for you and your mate.
It’s worth focusing on your own boundaries, what you can control, and how you are choosing to abide by the guidelines. If you’re worried about going outside, for example, but your flatmate is not, you could be as sanitary as you can when sharing anything in the home. You might want to rewash plates and cutlery before using them, even if they’ve been put away clean in the cupboards.
Accept that people will act differently during these times, and try to keep that line of communication open with them so the relationship doesn’t turn sour.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--CNN Reporter And Crew Arrested Live On Air During Minneapolis Protests

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CNN Reporter And Crew Arrested Live On Air During Minneapolis Protests
CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez and two members of his crew were arrested by Minnesota State Patrol officers while they were broadcasting live from protests in Minneapolis. Jimenez, who was covering the demonstrations that have erupted in the city following the death of George Floyd, was placed in handcuffs. A producer and a camera operator were also detained.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--As Lockdown Lifts, Police Are About To Face Their Biggest Challenge Yet

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The horrific scenes from the US of George Floyd being held down by a police officer, unable to breathe, had a huge effect on Mohammed Khan.
Watching those scenes, Khan was reminded of his own traumatic experience when police allegedly used excessive force during his arrest last year, causing him to pass out.
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His was one of the cases I supported to try and understand what happened. The police have since been unable to explain why he was detained, and this experience has had a long-lasting effect on his mental health.
Prior to lockdown, he was hospitalised several times following the incident. Now, living in overcrowded conditions on a cramped social housing estate in lockdown and looking after his severely diabetic mother, he suffers from anxiety and stress.
His family worry that if they are living under such enormous pressure impacting on their mental wellbeing then there must be police officers who too will be living under similar circumstances. And suffering similarly from stress.
Arguments arise, tempers flare and physical scuffles that lead to serious assaults can happen in an environment that is not ready for a new type of community policing.
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In George Floyd’s case, it was evident the behaviour of the police was appalling but as the lockdown gradually eases, the UK’s focus must be on what challenges community policing will inevitably face in a post-lockdown era.
This is a difficult situation as the police also fear for their own lives, particularly when we look to the epidemic of knife crime that continues to plague the UK’s biggest cities. The police are already fearing an explosion of violent crime as rival drug gangs try to re-establish their dominance across London following the lockdown.
There needs to be a meaningful discussion ahead of time about the positive measures that could be taken to reduce the risk of this happening in the future – both in terms of police training and guidelines, and helping and supporting those often black and minority ethnic communities who are most at risk from this type of crime, and being lured into carrying out this type of crime.
It begins with education and engaging young people. Gang leaders and drug dealers often fill the void in the lives of impressionable young men.
For many people, the lockdown will have created a toxic mix of grief, isolation, hunger, deprivation and sometimes domestic abuse, which will create a new environment for policing, in addition to dealing with those who have flouted and exploited the rules.
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Even Sadiq Khan spoke about having bad days and good days despite living in a house with a garden during lockdown. So we need to ask ourselves, what can help shore against bad policing days after lockdown?
New figures show that Black, Asian and minority ethnic people in England are 54% more likely to be fined than white people under the coronavirus laws, figures reveal. However, interestingly there have been reports that certain groups are struggling to adhere to government guidelines surrounding social distancing, which would therefore be one explanation for the figures. Unsurprising when you look at the correlation between overcrowding and poverty.
The unique cocktail of emotions that this pandemic has stirred up risks tipping us into a more volatile version of normal. How, therefore, can we deal with this without investment into treating violence on both sides of the law?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--Is The UK Ready To Socialise? The Latest Lockdown Easing Explained

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We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
You might feel a twinge of excitement at the prospect of BBQs and garden parties as summer hits – particularly after yesterday’s announcement by the prime minister.
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Boris Johnson said as of Monday 1 June, people in England will be able to meet up with friends and family in groups of up to six people outside their homes – at beaches, in parks and private gardens – but not indoors.
People can meet “provided those from different households continue to stick to social distancing rules”, he said. However he urged people to avoid seeing others from “too many households in quick succession” to avoid transmission between different families.
The prime minister added that those who are shielding should continue to do so – and that further guidance on socialising is coming next week.
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What are the rules in the UK?
The rules are slightly different for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – but the premise is similar, you can meet other people from outside your household, outdoors, as long as you socially distance.
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In Wales, people from two different households can meet outdoors in the same local area.
In Scotland, no more than eight people in total can meet at a time – however people are urged to keep household bubbles mutually exclusive. This means that if Gill and Kate live together; and Ahmed, Matt and Sonny live together; they can only meet up with each other. They can’t meet with any other households.
In Northern Ireland, groups of four to six people who are not part of the same household can gather outdoors, as long as they are socially distanced, which appears to be similar to the measures England is adopting.
Is the UK ready to socialise?
Experts are cautious, as the government’s science committee SAGE estimates the R value [reproduction rate] is between 0.7 and 0.9 – and there are an estimated 8,000 new cases a day in the UK.
“It’s a difficult one, because some regions of the UK might be [ready], but when you look at the overall cases reported on a daily basis, there are still a lot of cases across the UK,” Dr Nick Long, associate professor of anthropology at London School of Economics and Political Science, tells HuffPost UK.
But, he says, it’s a positive step for people’s mental health. “This is clearly going to be a very popular policy and will be welcomed by many. It’s going to help the mental health and wellbeing of many people who have felt very isolated during lockdown – and even those who haven’t.”
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adventtr via Getty Images
Experts say the government should be responsive if the R rate starts to rise rapidly – and ready to tighten lockdown measures if needed. “With any kind of relaxation, it’s going to cause the reproduction number to go up a bit,” says Dr Mike Tildesley, an associate professor in infectious diseases at University of Warwick. “We need to be aware that we will potentially see a climb in cases.”
The key to keeping the infection rate down, he believes, is dependent on people maintaining social distancing when meeting others and also effective testing and tracing. “If that’s successful, we can react rapidly.”
What happened to the idea of social bubbles?
It was rumoured the UK might adopt a similar policy to other countries of having “social bubbles”. This effectively means pairing up with another household, in a mutually exclusive “bubble”, and only socialising with these people, but being able to do so indoors and not having to socially distance.
New Zealand implemented a successful bubble policy, which the government nodded to as inspiration in its recovery strategy document. Dr Long studied this policy in great detail. Initially, it was only for New Zealanders who were isolated, vulnerable or struggling to receive the care and support they needed.
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People who were first prioritised to have a social bubble were those who lived alone and wanted to “bubble up” with another isolated person, people who struggled to access childcare (for example, a single parent who could use a social bubble to pool childcare with a relative or neighbour), elderly people who needed carers, and the recently bereaved. They were able to see their “bubble mates” indoors, which at the moment, no UK policy allows for.
Bubbles were expanded when it would keep people ‘safe and well’ – rather than for social purposes. This resulted in people sticking to the rules and keeping bubbles exclusive, says Dr Long.
“One of the things that was great about New Zealand was even when they allowed everyone to expand their bubble, there was a discourse of: you should only do this to keep you and others safe and well, and on the basis of need and support, rather than just wanting to socialise,” adds Dr Long.
As of yet, there has been no mention of this happening in the UK. However, Dr Long believes isolated groups should be prioritised for “bubble arrangements” as soon as possible. “It would be good to see more acknowledgement of their continued struggles in government announcements,” he says.
Tips for socialising if you’re anxious
If you’re excited to socialise but worried about catching the virus, you could establish some ground rules with the people you plan to meet up with. Are you and your mates only meeting up with each other, or are you also seeing other people? It can be helpful to know this for your own peace of mind and to determine whether – and when – you’d feel comfortable meeting up.
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You should check in on issues like whether people are happy for you to use their bathroom, suggests Dr Long, as this would mean you’d need to pass through their home. Are their specific rules in place for those who do use the bathroom? Does your mum want you to wipe down anywhere with an antibacterial wipe after using the loo, for example?
“It’s going to be so important for people to maintain the 2m distance and avoid the temptation to pop indoors for a cup of tea, especially if it rains,” says Dr Long. “I actually worry this will be harder to enforce than the exclusivity of a social bubble – but hopefully it will be okay. Let’s see.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--Police Arrest CNN Reporter And Crew Covering Minneapolis Protests Live On Air

John Berman, the co-host of New Day, reported that CNN president Jeff Zucker had spoken to Minnesota governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, and said the governor had apologised.
Walz took “full responsibility” for the incident, Berman reported.
Upon his release, Jimenez suggested there’d been “a little bit of confusion” from police about where the crew was allowed to be.
The arresting officers were “pretty cordial,” he added. They talked about “how crazy” the week had been, he said, and he asked for guidance on where the crew should be while reporting on future demonstrations.
Floyd, a Black man, died in Minneapolis on Monday after a police officer knelt on his neck, sparking protests that have now spread nationwide. Four officers have been fired, but no criminal charges have been filed.
Demonstrators in Minneapolis have clashed with police officers and torched buildings.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--You Can Meet In The Garden, But What Happens When You Need The Loo?

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People across England have been busy reuniting with friends and family outdoors, but there’s one question many are pondering: is it okay to pop in to the loo?
The simple answer is yes, as long as you’re sensible and come straight back out again.
“If you need to use the bathroom, wash your hands thoroughly and go back outside immediately,” the government website states. “You should maintain social distancing from anyone who is not in your household or support bubble.”
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The guidelines also permit you to walk through the house to get to the garden or other outside space if there’s no alternative, outdoor access. “You should wear a face covering, wash or sanitise your hands when entering, and then go straight to the outside space,” the guidelines say.
Klaus Vedfelt via Getty Images .
We were in a similar position when the first lockdown began to ease last May, when Professor Chris Whitty agreed using the toilet may be essential.
“If someone was to go into the loo because they had to do that, it’s absolutely critical that they wipe everything down, wash their hands all the way through,” he said.
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Experts have previously warned of the risk of spreading and catching the virus in toilets. Professor Paul Hunter, an expert in infectious diseases at the University of East Anglia, told HuffPost UK the public should be cautious about using public loos on beach trips.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--'This Breaks My Heart': Piers Morgan Sends Love To Kate Garraway After Emotional Clap For Carers

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Piers Morgan has sent a message of support to his Good Morning Britain colleague Kate Garraway, after seeing her emotional appearance during the last Clap For Carers.
Kate’s husband Derek Draper is continuing to fight coronavirus in hospital, after being admitted in April.
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Kate Garraway and Piers Morgan Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
The presenter was pictured outside her home with her two children Darcey, 14, and son Billy, 10, taking part in the national round of applause for the pandemic’s front line workers on Thursday night.
“This breaks my heart,” Piers said, tweeting a story from the Daily Mail. “Few happier, more positive people than @kategarraway. Or a more loyal, decent friend & colleague.
“So many families like hers going through so much unimaginable anguish in this crisis. Sending all my love to Kate & continuing to root for Derek.”
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Kate and her husband Derek Draper James Gourley/ITV/Shutterstock
Kate also shared her own post on Instagram of her family clapping for carers, and said she had “felt the tears coming” after hearing that it was set to be the last time the nation takes to its doorsteps.
“It’s been such a source of weekly comfort for them & me & I must admit I felt the tears come tonight to think it’s coming to an end while our fear for Derek goes on,” she said.
“But even if we don’t clap next Thursday it won’t diminish my eternal thanks to all in the #nhs . They are keeping Derek alive & everyone of them is fighting as hard as Derek is to give us the chance to be reunited. Hope has to keep us all going doesn’t it?”
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Kate added that she was “having to find new ways of staying strong everyday” for her children because she knows “Derek would want me to”.
“It’s not easy but when I think of how hard Derek is fighting & the bravery of all in the #nhs it helps,” she said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--My Family Are Risking Their Lives Working For A Country That Doesn't Want Them

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During lockdown, it has been made clear that we depend on specific workers to keep our nation afloat. Our NHS staff, teachers, social workers, food chain workers, transport staff, postal workers, and more, are now celebrated by those on both sides of the political spectrum for their dedication and service to our country.
Despite this, home secretary Priti Patel refused to soften her hard approach to post-Brexit immigration, with her Immigration Bill being voted through the House of Commons. Patel took to Twitter to claim that this Bill “will ensure people can come to our country based on what they have to offer, not where they come from”, reasserting her belief that individuals should be judged solely on the vague notion of “skill”. This means that the points-based system will still be introduced, with points being awarded to applicants who meet a specific criteria, such as holding certain qualifications, the ability to speak English to a certain standard, and meeting a £25,600 salary threshold.
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“As a black person, seeing on the news that you are four times more likely to die from Covid-19, while having family members who are essential workers, leaves you with a constant feeling of anxiety that haunts you on a daily basis.”
The Covid-19 pandemic has drawn attention to the deeply problematic nature of defining individuals on their economic value. A government who, in February, pejoratively labelled some as “unskilled”, is now praising the efforts of these same people, deeming them to be “essential workers” within society. Recent months have shown that the conceptualisations surrounding “skilled” and “unskilled” labour say little about the nature of the work itself but serve to naturalise our society’s established divides along racial, class and gendered lines. The act of reducing people to their economic output, while labelling certain people as “unskilled”, strips people of their humanity and legitimises their exclusion from society. For Patel to continue with the passing of this Bill, especially in these times, is not only tone deaf, but cruel.
Last week’s news showed that the government refuses to take any form of accountability. Not only does Dominic Cummings see himself and his family as an exception to the lockdown measures that he devised for the country, Patel’s Immigration Bill also absolves the UK Government from addressing the now prevalent elephant in the room: most of our “essential workers” are engaged in some of the lowest paid work and poorest maintained working conditions. By shifting the responsibility onto these people to obtain higher wages through an arbitrary points-based system, instead of challenging those who imposed the unfair wages in the first place, the government is essentially sending the message that, in order to be allowed into this country, workers need to, as the famous Paris Hilton t-shirt says: “Stop being poor”.
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Through rules on citizenship and immigration, racist and xenophobic conceptualisations of who is worthy of being labelled “British” are normalised. Non-UK nationals are strongly represented among the ranks of hospital cleaners, porters, security guards and catering staff. Black workers are the ethnic group most likely to be in “unskilled” work, while being the ethnic group with the lowest percentage of workers in managerial, directorial or senior official jobs. Denying entry into the UK on the basis of skill means the UK government is more likely to deny entry to black people and other people of colour. Discussions surrounding immigration are coded with racist language, and this new Bill is merely another avenue for the UK government to deny rights to non-white people.
“It is getting harder and harder for me to watch my family members work for a government that is already thinking of ways to keep people like us out of the country once this pandemic is over.”
Wavebreakmedia via Getty Images
Black people are four times more likely to die from Covid-19, yet the government is still failing to extend sympathy towards them. It makes the performative nature of the #clapfortheNHS campaign ever-present, shining a light on how empty gestures such as this do absolutely nothing to protect the most vulnerable in society. MPs are wilfully ignorant to the fact that the structural barriers and systemic discrimination faced by non-white people are manifested in the disproportionately high death rate of NHS staff from BME backgrounds, and the passing of this points-based Immigration Bill just adds salt to the wounds. No amount of clapping will cover this up.
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I have family members who are NHS staff and immigrated to the UK from Nigeria, working for a country they would be denied entry into under the regime proposed by the home secretary. We are living in stressful times as it is, but as a black person, seeing on the news that you are four times more likely to die from Covid-19, while having family members who are essential workers, leaves you with a constant feeling of anxiety that haunts you on a daily basis.
Coronavirus-induced anxiety is more prevalent within the black community, but for me, this news has confirmed what I already knew: racism lies within the fabric of the government’s hostile environment polices. Not only are they aggressively failing to protect black people during this pandemic, but through immigration policies, they are actively working to push us further into an abject status. It is getting harder and harder for me to watch my family members work for a government that is already thinking of ways to keep people like us out of the country once this pandemic is over.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--Gaga, Grande & Gogglebox | Good Vibes Only: Lockdown

Gaga, Grande & Gogglebox | Good Vibes Only: Lockdown
This week in entertainment, Jade Thirlwall’s new series is poised to kick off on MTV, The Real Marigold Hotel provides comforting escapism during lockdown, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande’s new single is released and we look at the funniest clips of the week from Twitter and TikTok.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--Twitter Hits Trump With ‘Glorifying Violence’ Warning After Tweet About George Floyd Minneapolis Pro

Twitter Hits Trump With ‘Glorifying Violence’ Warning After Tweet About George Floyd Minneapolis Protest
Twitter has placed a warning on one of Donald Trump’s tweets about protests in Minneapolis, saying the president violated the platform’s rules about “glorifying violence”. Trump had lashed out at crowds in the city protesting over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in police custody, calling demonstrators “thugs” who were dishonouring his memory. Threatening to send the National Guard to Minneapolis after a third night of unrest in Minneapolis, the president tweeted: “..when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--The 1975 Singer Matty Healy's Twitter Deactivated After Backlash Over George Floyd Post

The 1975 frontman Matty Healy appears to have deleted his Twitter account, after facing criticism over a post about the death of George Floyd.
On Thursday, the singer was among several stars to speak out about the tragic death of Floyd, a Black man who died earlier this week after a police officer kneeled on his neck while he was handcuffed on the ground, shouting that he couldn’t breathe.
Responding to those who were using Floyd’s death to promote an “All Lives Matter” message, Matty tweeted: “If you truly believe that ‘ALL LIVES MATTER’ you need to stop facilitating the end of black ones.”
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However, he faced a backlash over his decision to include a link to The 1975 song Love It If We Made It in the tweet, with many accusing him of using the Black Lives Matter movement to promote his own music, and using the death of George Floyd as self-promotion.
Matty Healy Lorne Thomson via Getty Images
“Sorry I did not link my song in that tweet to make it about me,” he insisted soon afterwards. “It’s just that the song is literally about this disgusting situation and speaks more eloquently than I can on Twitter.”
His Twitter account was deactivated soon afterwards. HuffPost UK has contacted Matty Healy’s representatives for further comment.
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The song in question features lyrics about police brutality and institutional racism, with Matty singing: “We’re fucking in a car, shooting heroin. Saying controversial things just for the hell of it, selling melanin and then suffocate the Black men. Start with misdemeanours and we’ll make a business out of them.”
Matty previously told Genius about the song: “I’m not as educated as I would like to be on Black American history, you’ll be really surprised by that, as a white Englishman. But the obvious things are the things that I’m talking about in this song, the obvious things about reality, the obvious paradoxes and conflicts in logic and stuff like that.
“It’s made quite apparent that Black people in America are one of the only things that I noticed that are fetishised, that people have a fetish for and a phobia of at exactly the same time.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--The Lord Of The Rings Cast Gives Us One Reunion To Rule Them All

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Actor Josh Gad has been bringing together various iconic casts in his quarantine show Reunited Apart, including the former stars of The Goonies and Back To The Future – but now he’s delivering the one reunion to rule them all.
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He’s gathering the original Fellowship, the cast of Lord Of The Rings.
The cats of The Lord Of The Rings Josh Gad YouTube
A teaser for the episode, which will debut on Sunday, shows the Hobbits themselves, actors Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan, getting together and Zoom-calling in from their respective Hobbit holes.
Perhaps just to ensure the Hobbits are safe and not being taken to Isengard again, Legolas himself, aka Orlando Bloom, even makes an appearance.
Then, the most magical moment from the teaser comes when Sir Ian McKellen reprises Gandalf and recreates an iconic scene.
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In a word, it’s precious.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--Little Mix's Leigh-Anne Pinnock Has A Lot To Celebrate After Lockdown Engagement

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Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock is engaged to footballer Andre Gray.
The Watford FC player proposed in lockdown as the couple celebrated their fourth anniversary on Thursday.
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Andre shared the news on Instagram, posting a photo of them as Leigh-Anne showed off her engagement ring.
He wrote: “Let the caption speak for itself this time.” He also posted a heart emoji and an engagement ring, adding: “Hasta la muerte,” meaning “Until death.”
He also shared a picture of himself down on one knee as Leigh-Anne covered her hands with her face.
Earlier in the day, she shared an anniversary tribute to Andre, writing: “Happy Anniversary baby… how has 4 years gone so fast! All I know is I’m another year more crazy about you. I couldn’t love you harder if I tried.”
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The singer has previously told fans she was hoping Andre might pop the question.
In an Instagram Live, she said: “I really hope so. I’m just waiting, you know. I’m waiting ... patiently.”
However, she thought the coronavirus pandemic had put paid to her hopes of a proposal and summer wedding.
“The wedding is probably not going to happen now because we can’t go anywhere,” she said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--Madonna Divides Opinion After Sharing Video Of Son Dancing To 'Honour' George Floyd

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Madonna has divided opinion after she shared a video of her son dancing to Michael Jackson to “honour” George Floyd, who died after he was pinned to the ground by his neck by a police officer.
In the clip, David Banda is seen dancing to Jackson’s They Don’t Care About Us, which the singer posted in “tribute” to Floyd.
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The 46-year old’s tragic death on Monday once again raised the issue of police brutality towards Black people and has led to several nights of unrest in Minneapolis and outcry across the world.
In a caption for the video, Madonna wrote: “Brutal murder travels around the world my son David dances to honour and pay tribute to George and His Family and all Acts of Racism and Discrimination that happen on a daily basis in America.”
Brutal murder travels around the world my son David Dances to honor and pay tribute to George and His Family and all Acts of Racism and Discrimination that happen on a daily basis in America. #davidbanda #JusticeforGeorgeFloyd #MichaelJackson pic.twitter.com/wLa6YKrYF1 — Madonna (@Madonna) May 28, 2020
The video and accompanying message was labelled “the worst tweet of all time” by retired American professional basketball player Rex Chapman.
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“‘Come dance in the kitchen for racism’ is a weird take. To Michael Jackson? And other things,” he added.
Maybe the worst tweet of all time. “ come dance in the kitchen for racism” is a weird take. To Michael Jackson? And other things.🤣🤣 — Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) May 29, 2020
Many others agreed with his sentiment...
Wow. Racism is gone. Thank you girl. — . (@unbotheredbliss) May 28, 2020
I really appreciate you for allowing your son to dance away the racism for us. — thighentist (@indigogloves) May 28, 2020
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Now that Madonna has posted a video of her son dancing racism is over, George Floyd has peace, justice will be served and the riots will stop. This is what everyone was waiting for. Stay tuned for updates from the bathtub. — Carmine Sabia (@CarmineSabia) May 29, 2020
I regret finding out why #Madonna is trending right now. — Katie Phang (@KatiePhang) May 29, 2020
Madonna, please. Not now. — Tom and Lorenzo (@tomandlorenzo) May 29, 2020
You definitely forgot to read the room, sis. — #WineWithChas 🍷 (@chasityscooper) May 28, 2020
Others defended the singer, with some highlighting the fact that she had been one of the first celebrities to condemn the police responsible for Floyd’s death...
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madonna has been an activist since the beginning of her career BECAUSE she acknowledges her privilege. she clearly posted that video of her son out of pure love. on top of that, she posted this on instagram on TUESDAY, before every other celebrity. she doesn’t deserve any hate. pic.twitter.com/Q9NJz85qPY — albert (@alberterotica) May 29, 2020
Madonna’s been fighting the good fight for a long time. Earlier this week she literally posted “fuck the police”. Weird to drag her for posting that video of her son dancing (the memes are good though). pic.twitter.com/NPtIboIols — Osman Faruqi (@oz_f) May 29, 2020
#Madonna Twitter is such a vicious world. He's a kid. He wanted to do something expressive. Some of you are too young to know the lyrics to the Michael Jackson song. Listen to them. Whatever you think about his mom....he's a kid. Chill, Twitter. — Professor Darren Hutchinson (@dissentingj) May 29, 2020
It’s crazy seeing people criticise a young black man for expressing himself through dance. Why? I found his dance powerful and meaningful — DworkinsDaughter (@DworkinsDaughte) May 29, 2020
Following Floyd’s death, Star Wars actor John Boyega tweeted: “This just burns.
“Seems to be a never ending cycle. The murderers need to be charged severely. Even in the face of death this man was given zero empathy.”
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This just burns. Seems to be a never ending cycle. The murderers need to be charged severely. Even in the face of death this man was given zero empathy. #RIPGeorgeFloyd #BlackLivesMatter #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/gyuaoC6vUh — John Boyega (@JohnBoyega) May 27, 2020
He followed this with a second tweet, saying simply: “I really fucking hate racists.”
On Thursday, the British actor doubled down on his comments, telling any racists who follow him or consider themselves fans of his work to “fuck off” during an Instagram live-stream.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--Boris Johnson, Mothers Will Be Left Behind Without Investment In Childcare

Catherine Falls Commercial via Getty Images
Dear Prime Minister,
We were encouraged by your remarks at the Liaison Committee on 27 May where you acknowledged that female workers have been harder hit by the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis. In particular, with reference to additional assistance to the childcare sector, you said you would do “whatever it takes to help get women back into work” and that “childcare is absolutely critical for the success of our economy”.
You are absolutely right to recognise the severe impact this crisis has already had on female employment. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has found that mothers in couple families are one and half times more likely than fathers to have lost or quit their jobs since the crisis began. They are also more likely to have been furloughed and are now nine percentage points less likely to be working for pay. Mothers are also taking on a significantly larger share of unpaid work in the home, even when they are also trying to juggle this with paid work. The picture will be worse for single parents.
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It is estimated that a significant proportion of childcare providers will go to the wall with a loss of 10,000 businesses or 150,000 childcare places. Over 90% of staff working in the childcare sector are women. Because of the unequal impact of caring roles, this catastrophic loss of childcare provision will result in fewer mothers being able to return to work. One of the successes of recent years has been the fact that at 75%, rates of maternal employment were higher than they have ever been before, up from 66% in 2000. But this progress has now been reversed and it is our view that maternal employment will not recover to pre-crisis levels without a significant and strategic investment in our childcare infrastructure. The economic recovery of the whole country relies on getting women and men back to work, but without childcare mothers will be left behind, the economic recovery will falter and may fail altogether. Just as we need investment in roads and rail, we also need investment in childcare.
We urge you to prioritise funding for childcare in both the short and medium-term by providing a substantial injection of funding at local level now, as the lockdown is easing so that childcare providers can safely play their part in supporting the economic recovery. But more significantly, we urge you to make investment in our childcare infrastructure integral to your programme for renewal going forward. Evidence shows that by investing in a care economy we can grow our way out of this recession because there is an economic return on that investment. It pays for itself. We urge you to make childcare part of the solution and we would be delighted to work with you and with your advisers to make this happen.
Yours sincerely,
Sam Smethers, Chief Executive, Fawcett Society
Mary-Ann Stephenson, Director, Women’s Budget Group
Rosalind Bragg, Director, Maternity Action
Joeli Brearley, Founder and Director, Pregnant Then Screwed
Victoria Benson, CEO, Gingerbread
Mark Gale, Policy and Campaigns Manager, Young Women’s Trust
Thomas Lawson, Chief Executive, Turn2us
Jane van Zyl, Chief Executive, Working Families
Justine Roberts, founder and CEO, Mumsnet


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--Twitter Hits Trump With ‘Glorifying Violence’ Warning After President Attacks Minneapolis Protesters

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Trump had lashed out at crowds in the city protesting over the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in police custody, calling demonstrators “thugs” who were dishonouring his memory.
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Threatening to send the National Guard to Minneapolis after a third night of unrest in Minneapolis, the president tweeted: “Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
Twitter has placed a warning on one of the president's tweets, accusing him of breaking the platform's rules about "glorifying violence". Donald Trump/ Twitter
It came just hours after Trump signed an executive order aimed at removing some of the legal protections given to social media platforms, with the president accusing them of having “unchecked power”.
There has been widespread anger in Minneapolis over the death of 46-year-old Floyd, who was seen on video gasping for breath while a white police officer knelt on his neck.
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On the recording, he can be heard telling officers: “Please, I can’t breathe.”
An artist creates an image of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Since Floyd’s death, four police officers have been fired, with the mayor saying that being black “should not be a death sentence”.
On Thursday night, peaceful rallies about Floyd’s death gave way to arson, looting and vandalism, Reuters reported, with one of the city’s police stations torched amid the unrest.
Police initially fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters who gathered outside the city’s Third Precinct police station.
However, the station was later set ablaze, with protesters chanting “no peace, no justice” nearby.
A protester runs in front of the burning 3rd Precinct building of the Minneapolis Police Department, Thursday, May 28, 2020, in Minneapolis. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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A spokesman for the police force told the Associated Press that officers abandoned the building “in the interest of the safety of our personnel”.
A car and at least two other buildings nearby were also set on fire, while looters entered a nearby Target discount store for a second night.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--Trump Signs Social Media Executive Order

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Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that could weaken legal protections for social media companies, days after Twitter labelled two of his misleading missives with a fact-check addendum.
The move, which may expose social media companies to liability for what gets posted on their platforms, dramatically escalates a confrontation between Trump and his favoured mode of communication, where the president can address his more than 80 million followers directly without relying on news conferences or the traditional media.
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Trump and his backers claimed Twitter was suppressing free speech by labelling his tweets, which falsely claimed mail-in ballots would be “substantially fraudulent.” The president typically uses the platform to brag, attack rivals, bolster allies and spread falsehoods.
When a reporter asked at the signing why Trump didn’t simply stop using the platform, the president retorted, “If we had fair press in this country, I would do that in a heartbeat.”
It wasn’t immediately clear how, if at all, the order can be enforced. The president cannot regulate tech companies without congressional approval and any challenge to their autonomy is sure to end up in court.
“Much as he might wish otherwise, Donald Trump is not the president of Twitter. This order, if issued, would be a blatant and unconstitutional threat to punish social media companies that displease the president,” the American Civil Liberties Union noted on Twitter.
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“The president has no authority to rewrite a congressional statute with an executive order imposing a flawed interpretation of Section 230,” the ACLU continued, referring to the section of the Communications Decency Act that shields platforms from being held liable for what users publish on them.
“Ironically, Donald Trump is a big beneficiary of Section 230,” the legal nonprofit continued. “If platforms were not immune under the law, then they would not risk the legal liability that could come with hosting Trump’s lies, defamation, and threats.”
But Trump insisted Thursday that he would go as far as shutting down Twitter if his lawyers found a way. “I’d have to go through a legal process,” he said.
Social media companies have enjoyed legal protections for what gets posted on their platforms and have resisted tampering with even vile falsehoods, including Trump’s aspersions that MSNBC host Joe Scarborough committed murder.
Still, Twitter labelled two of Trump’s tweets with a fact-check warning for the first time on Tuesday after the president’s mail-in fraud claim. Many states have moved to expand vote-by-mail during the coronavirus pandemic, including California, which said this month all registered voters would be sent ballots for the general election.
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There is NO WAY (ZERO!) that Mail-In Ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent. Mail boxes will be robbed, ballots will be forged & even illegally printed out & fraudulently signed. The Governor of California is sending Ballots to millions of people, anyone..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 26, 2020
Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office before signing an executive order related to regulating social media on May 28 Pool via Getty Images
The Twitter addendum tells readers they can “get the facts” about mail-in ballots and directs them to news reports that debunk Trump’s claims.
The move, however, sparked a dramatic outburst from the Oval Office.
Twitter “is now interfering in the 2020 Presidential Election,” Trump wrote. He later said the social media giant was “completely stifling FREE SPEECH, and I, as President, will not allow it to happen!”
Trump doubled down on that criticism Thursday afternoon, tagging Twitter’s head of site integrity Yoel Roth in a separate tweet and deriding him as a “hater.” It’s the second time in as many days the White House has specifically targeted Roth. White House adviser Kellyanne Conway spelled out his Twitter handle on Fox News Wednesday, ominously predicting “he’s about to get a lot more followers.”
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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he disagreed with Twitter’s policy in an interview with Fox News set to air Thursday.
“I just believe strongly that Facebook shouldn’t be the arbiter of truth of everything that people say online,” Zuckerberg said. “I think in general, private companies probably shouldn’t be — especially these platform companies — shouldn’t be in the position of doing that.”
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey fired back at the criticism, saying the company would “continue to point out incorrect or disputed information about elections globally. And we will admit to and own any mistakes we make.”
“This does not make us an ‘arbiter of truth,’” Dorsey said. “Our intention is to connect the dots of conflicting statements and show the information in dispute so people can judge for themselves. More transparency from us is critical so folks can clearly see the why behind our actions.”
Lydia O’Connor and Ryan Grenoble contributed reporting.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--He Grew Up Without A Dad. Now, He's Become The Internet's Dad On YouTube

Rob Kenney Rob Kenney, pictured with his extended family on the left, has over 2 million followers on his YouTube channel “Dad, how do I?”
Rob Kenney’s parents divorced when he was a child, and his dad got custody of him and his siblings. But fatherhood didn’t interest him, and in October 1978, at his daughter’s ninth birthday, he told his kids he didn’t want them anymore.
“It was pretty callous,” Kenney, who was 14 at the time, recalled. “I remember just feeling disbelief.”
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Kenney and his siblings were left to fend for themselves, more or less. Learning the ropes of adulthood was understandably difficult: He had to learn how to shave on his own, how to unclog a sink on his own, how to change a tire on his own.
Now a dad himself, Kenney decided to create a YouTube channel that teaches kids in similar situations lessons he missed out on growing up. The Seattle area father-of-two calls the series “Dad, how do I?” Since launching a month ago, he already has over 2 million followers.
“I just thought, if given the opportunity, I would like to be able to share some encouraging words that I wish I had when I was younger,” Kenney told HuffPost.
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In the videos, released weekly, Kenney relays his advice in a plainspoken, “just-the-facts, ma’am” way. There’s the occasional dad joke. If he’s unsure about something, he’ll admit it (a hallmark of a good dad) ― and he’s quick to remind viewers of other methods of doing something. (And of course, in spite of the channel’s name, a mum could teach this stuff, too!)
Kenney is clearly a dad who knows his stuff. He emphasises all the key details.
In his how-to on shaving, he says, “When you’re done, don’t forget to [clean the sink] or your mum, or whoever else uses the bathroom after you, is going to kill you. When you drain that water out, you’re going to leave all that hair that you just shaved off your face and you don’t want people to be angry about that. That’s a mistake I made when I was younger!”
After his dad left, Kenney’s younger sister Angie went to live with his sister Mary, who was 27 at the time. His brothers Don, 16, and Joe, 17, moved into an apartment subsidised by his dad. Kenney, then 14, went to live with his oldest brother, Rick, and his wife Karen.
“We had all learned to cope on our own since (Kenney’s father) had emotionally checked out a couple of years earlier and had left us for a week at a time,” he said.
Rob Kenney Kenney dancing with his daughter when she was younger. On the right, he's pictured with her in the delivery room.
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When Kenney became a father himself in the ’90s, he knew he was going to behave differently. He and his wife of 29 years, Annelli, are parents to two grown children who Kenney is proud to say are successful, well-adjusted adults who “still talk to him!”
Now that he’s been hailed the “internet’s dad,” Kenney has plenty more people who see him as sort of father figure. On YouTube, the comment sections for his how-top videos are surprisingly wholesome.
“I’ve always been scared that when I grow up and if I become a father I won’t be able to teach my children ‘dad’ things because no one taught me,” a commentator wrote on the ‘how to change a tire’ video. “This might change that.”
On the shaving video, one comment is particularly poignant. “As a trans man, who’s dad never bothered to teach him this, or how to be a man for that matter, thank you,” the commentator wrote. “Thank you so. SO. Much.”
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Kenney said he can become an “emotional wreck” when he reads the comments.
“There are so many comments, I don’t know where to begin,” he said. “I love the community that my subscribers are building, and how they are rallying around each other is very inspiring to me.”
His newfound internet fame hasn’t made him any less humble.
“I am just a dad and have little formal education, so I feel ill-equipped to deal with most of this,” Kenney said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--Netflix's Blood & Water Is A Teen Drama For People Who Don't Usually Like Teen Dramas

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Blood & Water only hit Netflix last week, but it has swiftly climbed into the streaming service’s top 10 here in the UK, and if you haven’t managed to catch it yet, you might be wondering what all the fuss is about.
So, if you’re at a loose end this weekend (then again, aren’t we all?), here’s why we’d recommend it as your next binge watch...
Netflix
In a nutshell...
After crossing paths at a party, Cape Town teenager Puleng sets out to prove whether a private-school swimming star is actually her sister, who was abducted at birth.
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Think of it as...
A teen drama with a meaningful mystery.
Who is in it?
Blood & Water might be Netflix’s second-only African original commission, but it boasts a seriously talented, up and coming South African cast.
Ama Qamata plays 16-year-old Puleng, who engineers her transfer to a prestigious inner-city school to investigate the cold case of her abducted-at-birth older sister.
Khosi Ngema plays Fikile, a star pupil who Puleng suspects of being her sister Phumele. Thabang Molaba, Arno Greeff and Greteli Fincham star as Fikile’s friends KB, Chris and Reece.
Natasha Thahane and Mekaila Mathys take on the roles of Fikile’s adversaries, Wendy and Tahira, while Dillon Windvogel plays Wade, the son of the school’s headteacher.
Gail Mabalane and Getmore Sithole appear as Puleng and Phumele’s parents Thandeka and Julius.
The show has a young, talented cast Netflix
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What we liked about it...
The tag “teen drama” can often instantly turn some off, but as shows like Sex Education and Riverdale have proved, if you’re able to offer something with an original premise that extends beyond the usual relationship melodrama, you can capture more people’s imagination than just your intended audience.
Blood & Water is another example of that, tackling some pretty hard-hitting, real-life issues like human trafficking, which is central to estranged sisters Puleng and Phumele’s story.
What’s more, at six episodes, Blood & Water is a lot less of a commitment than some other recent Netflix hits, which is a welcome change.
What we didn’t like about it...
Without giving too much away, it has been noted that the finale doesn’t necessarily tie up all the loose ends in the story – although we’re hoping that means a second series is on the cards.
Netflix has yet to officially confirm whether that’s the case, but there’s definitely a lot more to explore, and with it making such an impact on its top 10, Netflix would be fools not to renew it.
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Watch the trailer
So where can I watch Blood & Water?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--Exclusive: Keir Starmer Says Women Should Have 'Right To Know' Male Colleagues' Pay

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Women should be given the “right to know” what a male colleague doing the same work is paid and vice versa, Keir Starmer has said.
The Labour leader warned that coronavirus risks “setting us back years” in the fight for equal pay as he called for the law to be strengthened.
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It comes after the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) found that mothers are one-and-a-half times more likely than fathers to have either lost their job or quit since the lockdown began.
Separate research from poverty charity Turn2Us found women’s incomes are falling more steeply than men’s during the crisis, with the mean gender pay gap widening by £62.
Starmer said it was now necessary to back the Fawcett Society’s campaign to give women the right to know what a male colleague doing the same job is paid to bring equality law up to date.
On the 50th anniversary of the equal pay act, Starmer told HuffPost UK: “The equal pay act was a historic achievement that showed the impact Labour can make in power.
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“But half a century later, progress is stalling. Coronavirus threatens to set us back years in the fight for pay equality.
“We must come out of this pandemic with the commitment to build a better future.
“That means strengthening the Equal Pay Act and monitoring how this crisis is impacting on women.”
Labour leader Keir Starmer Leon Neal via Getty Images
The IFS study also found that women in families where both parents work are spending more of their working day simultaneously trying to care for their children compared to their partners.
They’re also more likely to have quit or lost their job, or to have been furloughed, since the start of the coronavirus lockdown.
A sharp reduction in the time that mothers are spending dedicated to work amid the crisis could harm their careers and further increase the gender wage gap when lockdown is lifted, researchers warned.
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In an article for HuffPost UK, the Fawcett Society and other charities seized on Boris Johnson’s commitment to do “whatever it takes to help get women back into work” and insistence that “childcare is absolutely critical for the success of our economy” in comments to the Commons Liaison Committee on Wednesday.
In an open letter to Johnson, they warned that “maternal employment will not recover to pre-crisis levels without a significant and strategic investment in our childcare infrastructure”.
“We urge you to prioritise funding for childcare in both the short and medium-term by providing a substantial injection of funding at local level now, as the lockdown is easing, so that childcare providers can safely play their part in supporting the economic recovery,” the charities said.
“But more significantly, we urge you to make investment in our childcare infrastructure integral to your programme for renewal going forward.
“Evidence shows that by investing in a care economy we can grow our
way out of this recession because there is an economic return on that investment. It pays for itself.”
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Shadow women and equalities minister Marsha de Cordova said the government’s coronavirus recovery strategy must take into account the pandemic’s particular impact on women or risk further entrenching unequal pay.
“Today marks 50 years since Barbara Castle’s Equal Pay act became law,” she said.
“It was inspired by the demand of women of the Ford factories in Dagenham and Liverpool for equal pay for equal work. Yet, even now, women are still getting a rough deal.
“Labour has long warned that the UK is slipping behind on pay equality.
“But the coronavirus crisis now looks set to further exploit those weaknesses by turning the clock back on pay equality.
“As we emerge from this crisis, it’s clear government needs to act in women’s interests.
“Government must ensure any coronavirus recovery plan comes with a full impact assessment that ensures it doesn’t exacerbate the gender pay gap.
“And it’s why we are calling on them to give women the right to know if they are being paid less than the man sat opposite them doing the same job.”
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In December, before the pandemic took hold, the UK had already slipped down the World Economic Forum’s global gender equality ranking from 15th to 21st – one place below Albania.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--50 Years After Equal Pay Act, Women On The Coronavirus Frontline Are Undervalued And Underpaid

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When Tabitha, 50, began to show symptoms of coronavirus in late March, she immediately called the elderly residential care home in North Wales where she works night shifts to say she couldn’t come in.
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“They told me that I had to show up,” she said. “They said I was pretending to be sick.”
Tabitha felt like she had no choice – she was on a zero-hours contract, which meant she had no safety net to fall back on. Only days after being sent home for being too sick to work, she was unable to eat or breathe properly.
Although she has been repeatedly denied a test, she told HuffPost UK that she was certain that she caught coronavirus from the care home. “We didn’t have any kind of protection. Then one day nearly everyone fell sick at the same time.”
Tabitha eventually recovered and returned to work. For the month and a half that she was away, she received around £150 of so-called “Covid sick pay” to cover all her bills, and had to rely on food donations to survive.
“I was so angry,” she said. “I tried asking for more but I was told if you ask for too much or insist, you might just be removed.”
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The pandemic has hit care homes and care workers hard, with the latest figures stating that there have been 12,526 deaths of care home residents. The real number is likely much higher.
Tabitha told HuffPost UK she didn’t want people to think her “miserable” experience was an isolated case. “I’m sharing my experience on behalf of the silent carer, the one who didn’t have to have the opportunity to share their story with you.”
Meanwhile the government has been criticised for not prioritising care workers, particularly in relation to the provision of testing and PPE. Up to April 20, 131 people working in social care have died of coronavirus – 86 of them women.
Eight out of 10 care workers are women, with many in the sector at barely minimum wage levels, working long hours, on zero-hours contracts.
The undervaluing and underfunding of care work means the undervaluing of women. Daisy-Daisy via Getty Images
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Undervaluing care work is therefore undervaluing the work of women, said Mary-Ann Stephenson, director of the non-profit Women’s Budget Group.
“We are now seeing the vital role of carers who every day are putting themselves at risk in high-exposure roles to keep the most vulnerable people safe,” she told HuffPost UK. “They are doing all this on poverty wages and insecure employment.”
Fifty years have passed, as of Friday, since the Equal Pay Act gave women the legal right to the same pay as men.
Yet Stephenson says that, for carers, “little has changed”.
“For far too long their work has been undervalued, underfunded and underpaid,” she added.
Karolina Gerlich, executive director of The Care Workers Charity, said care work is “definitely a gendered issue”.
“We’re talking about jobs that were invisible for millennia,” she told HuffPost UK. “Because care work was traditionally carried out by women for free, society gives it no monetary value.”
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A professional carer of 12 years, she said this – coupled with the fact that most patients consist of the elderly and people with disabilities – has led to “chronic underfunding” by a government that considers care work a place “where money goes to die”. She said care workers had already been struggling before the outbreak.
Prior to falling sick, Tabitha was paid £8 an hour for a 12-hour overnight shift. She says the conditions and pay left her feeling “like an animal”.
“Most people don’t realise what this job is like,” she said. “Everyone looks down at you. People shout at you while you’re working. They step on you. They treat you like you have no feelings, like a robot.”
She said the undervaluing of care work left many feeling “worthless”. “People are being denied their humanity.”
A new study shows an overwhelming majority of the UK public want carers to be better paid and better valued byryo via Getty Images
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Since March, Gerlich’s charity had seen a 1,000% increase in applications from care workers seeking help and funding. Coronavirus has “pushed them into poverty and debt”.
“Things have got much worse,” she said. “People are ringing up saying they won’t be able to feed their children next week – they won’t be able to pay their bills.”
A study released on Tuesday by the Fawcett Society showed an overwhelming majority of the UK public want carers to be better paid and better valued.
The survey of 2,079 adults found 72% agreed that care workers are underpaid, and three quarters say they should get paid at least the living wage of £9.30 per hour (£10.75 in London) for their work.
Tabitha, who spent in total 29 days sick with coronavirus, said she hopes public support will convince the government to provide proper pay and protection for care workers across the country.
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On Thursday, she and the charity Citizens UK launched a petition appealing for health secretary Matt Hancock to give care workers and all social care sector staff a “real living wage” of £9.30 an hour and £10.75 an hour in London.
“When care workers are underpaid and mistreated, they’re being told they’re useless and worthless,” she said.
Katherine Chapman, director of the Living Wage Foundation, said: “A lot has changed 50 years on from the Equal Pay Act but unfortunately women are still more likely to be in low paid jobs, such as social care, compared to men.
“We’ve seen the incredible dedication key workers have shown in keeping this country running, the majority of whom are women. From supermarket workers to nurses and carers, their work has been essential but if we want to live up to the aspirations and intentions of the Equal Pay Act, we could start by ensuring our key workers are rewarded with a real Living Wage.”
Gill Furniss, shadow minister for women and equalities, said: “We have seen that care workers, more than 80% of whom are women, are on the frontline against coronavirus. The years of underfunding in social care means that they are often paid little more than the minimum wage which is a scandal for the skilled care they provide.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--How To Get Through A Low Lockdown Day: 10 Mood Boosters We Swear By

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We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
Lockdown life isn’t linear; some days feel fine, while others feel anything but. These latter, tough days – which we at HuffPost UK have come to call “dip days” – are hard to endure. But as the weeks pass, we’ve each discovered new ways to weather the storm.
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Personally, I love a long, mindful walk after work when I’ve hit a slump. But during the day, if I need a faster pick-me-up, I’ll take five minutes to make a proper coffee and sip it by the back door – something that I wouldn’t be able to do in my usual office environment. Sure, it doesn’t fix everything, but it provides an instant reminder that there are small joys to be discovered in lockdown.
Others on the HuffPost UK team have developed their own individual strategies for pushing through a hard day. From bike riding to hypothetical house hunting, here are a few simple ideas you may want to try next time a dip day strikes.
bestsale via Getty Images
Get out and exercise
“Thankfully I haven’t had any dip days for the last month or so but in the initial stages of lockdown they would appear out of nowhere like an unwelcome visitor knocking on my door. I learned very early on that exercise was key and I rediscovered running outside after becoming a slave to the gym over the years.
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“Luckily I live right next to two beautiful parks in Brighton and as well as keeping fit, it’s the perfect excuse to leave the house and be surrounded by nature. The hard bit if you’re feeling low is finding the motivation to actually do it, but it has such a positive impact on both my physical and mental health, that it is motivation enough for when the next dip day comes around.”
– Matt Bagwell, Head of Entertainment
Unplug your phone
“I turn my phone and work phone on aeroplane mode and put them out of sight and out of reach (under my pillow in the bedroom or something) and do something completely away from screens, so no TV either. On a weekday, this may be a workout in the garden, or if I’m not working, it may be going for a long walk, playing a board game, sitting in the garden and chatting, or really focusing on cooking something delicious for dinner.
“I’ve had the longest stretches without my phone than I’ve been able to have in years and turning it back on after eight or so hours makes me realise I don’t need to check it every 10 mins to see what’s happening on Twitter or what’s the latest in a Whatsapp group debate.”
– Amy Packham, Life editor
Be a friend to yourself
“When I wake up and I’m experiencing a dip day, I try to be really kind to myself, like how I would treat a best friend. I focus on basic self-care needs like having a shower, getting dressed and making my bed, as well as drinking plenty of liquids and eating nourishing food. “I’ve had quite a lot of unexpected dip days lately and on the days I feel more productive, I might stock the freezer with either batch cooking, nice ready meals that can be microwaved or a pizza for the days when I don’t feel like cooking. Even when I don’t want to go outside, I find pushing myself to go outside for a bit helps. I also tell people I trust how I’m feeling and ring friends for a chat. Or I cancel plans and get under a blanket because that’s okay too.” – Becky Barnes, Audience editor
Go for a bike ride
“For years, cycling has been my way of getting from A to B. But now, with nowhere to go, getting on my bike has become a means of escape.
I moved to the Sussex countryside to live with my boyfriend’s parents during lockdown, which means there’s a lot to explore: winding country lanes, (seemingly) insurmountable hills, and acres upon acres of fields peppered with sheep.
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“Whether we hop on our bikes after a long day WFH or at the start of a sunny weekend, these freeing moments are ones I’ve come to count on – a chance to feel lighter.”
– Brogan Driscoll, Life editor
House hunt, hypothetically
“I try my best to switch off and go for a daily walk around areas I haven’t been before near where I live in east London. I’m in the middle of buying my first property and it’s a pretty exciting, but scary time to take the first step on the property ladder whilst in the middle of a pandemic.
“I know it’s bad, but I’m obsessed with peering into other people’s homes through the window to get ideas of my own. I get such a thrill with discovering new neighbourhoods and ogling at other people’s mansions that I know I’ll never be able to afford.”
– Angela Hui, freelance Life reporter
Break the day into chunks
“I have never been the most organised person, and normally operate in a pretty free-form, unstructured, last minute way. But when I’m struggling to get going or feel motivated during this crisis, I’ve found it helps me out to break my day into hour-long chunks with specific, itemised to-do lists and short breaks between.
“As well as helping me moderate the amount of stuff I actually need to get done each day, and at the risk of sounding like Principal Skinner, it becomes a fun challenge see how many things I can get done in any block.”
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– Charlie Lindlar, Personal editor
Call family
“A call to my parents never fails to cheer me up. Because of lockdown, this is the longest I’ve ever gone without being at home with my family in Newcastle, and even though ringing them obviously doesn’t make me miss them any less, it’s a reminder that there’s still a big world beyond out front doors, and it will all be waiting for us when lockdown is finally lifted. Plus I’m usually guaranteed a laugh or two, which is a bonus.”
– Daniel Welsh, Entertainment reporter
Primp a bit
“There are moments, in the seventh consecutive hour of video calls on any given work day, when glimpsing my bare, knackered face is like looking at a stranger or – worse – someone I don’t much like anymore. I’ve even taken to sticking a Post-It note over that part of my screen. It was a friend who suggested sticking on some colourful lipstick instead.
“I don’t really groom myself at the best of times (and these aren’t those) but she was right. It does help – a kind of fake-it-till-you-make-it approach to brightening your day. And at the risk of sounding basic, straightening my hair seems to work in a similar way, taming the frazzle along with my frizz.”
– Nancy Groves, Head of Life
Zone out with TV
“I’m still working out how to get through a dip day. It’s really tough trying to make sense of any of this, so the first thing to say is that on days it all feels too weird to think about, I just sort of pretend nothing unusual is happening, if that’s at all possible, and zone out into a world of Killing Eve and escapist travel shows.
“On other dip days, I find the oppressive silence of Bethnal Green weirdly toxic. I live in east London, shouldn’t it be loud?! So I run, badly, or go for long walks. I find seeing other people go about their (probably equally drab) lockdown lives reminds me I’m not in this alone.”
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– Adam Bloodworth, Entertainment and Life writer
Accept the dip
“I hesitated about contributing to this as I don’t think I do dip days particularly well. In fact, my low days in lockdown have on occasion felt so low that sometimes I think that will be my new normal. But the mantra ‘this too shall pass’ reminds me that nothing is permanent in life, and I cling to it during these uncertain times.
“On dip days, I try not to fight my feelings – acceptance is the closest thing to peace, I find. Instead, I allow myself to wallow if I want, to be negative if I feel like it, and try to remember that tomorrow is a new day.”
– Lucy Pasha-Robinson, Opinion editor
Covid-19 is more than a news story – it has changed every aspect of life in the UK. We are following how Britain is experiencing this crisis, the different stages of collective emotion, reaction and resilience. You can tell us how you are feeling and find further advice and resources here.
How Are You Feeling?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--7 Funny Tweets That'll Get Your Weekend Off To A Joyful Start

CurvaBezier via Getty Images
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus lockdown. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
This week has been characterised by anger for many people – but thankfully, the weekend is here, and it’s time to give yourself a break for five minutes.
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Put politics aside and have a good, old laugh with our weekly roundup of funny and feel-good tweets.
Here are the snippets that have brought us joy in the past seven days.
1. The turtle who loves a tickle
Extra points for the His Dark Materials reference.
Tell Philip Pullman I've found my daemon. https://t.co/Xj8hNSjeSJ — Caitlin Moran (@caitlinmoran) May 27, 2020
2. The pain of decoding American recipes
Hard relate. We’ve spent more time decoding online recipes through Google in lockdown than we have actually making them.
me, trying to follow an American recipe pic.twitter.com/9ZzEQsEhHg — ⭐ amy o'connor ⭐ (@amyohconnor) May 26, 2020
3. A Teletubbies X-ray with a happy ending
Ever wondered what the Teletubbies looks like when x-rayed? Wonder no more.
When I was 6 years old, I was already so infatuated with medicine that I begged my pediatrician to take an x-ray of my Telletuby bc I thought he was broken. 20 yrs later, I found it...just as I embark on my own career. If you’ve ever wondered about the inner Poe, here it is! pic.twitter.com/b5sbjkY0X0 — Melina Manolas, MD, MPH (@melina_manolas) May 21, 2020
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4. A PR stunt we can get on board with
BrewDog, take a bow. Hazy Durham IPA, we’re coming for you.
The people have spoken. So, we decided to actually do it.
Our limited edition beer is available now for pre-sale; https://t.co/vurIyUKkHq
All proceeds will go to funding our production of free sanitiser for the NHS & Health care charities. pic.twitter.com/DvY83GNy5a — BrewDog (@BrewDog) May 27, 2020
5. The crazy town-mansion hybrid
We have so many questions. For starters, when can we visit?
My friend found a listing for an otherwise normal mcmansion that seemingly has a little.... fake... town (?) in the basement pic.twitter.com/0VFT6LDgoW — Filthiest Poster Alive (@victoriaxxviii) May 27, 2020
6. The Canterbury tail
Now you see him, now you don’t. Well, apart from his tail.
Watch the moment Leo the cat disappears under the Dean of Canterbury's robes as he gives a sermon! Footage from Canterbury Cathedral pic.twitter.com/CMk6Jmlz20 — ITV News Meridian (@itvmeridian) May 26, 2020
7. Dogs just wanna have fun
And by fun, we mean play with frisbees while you’re trying to cut the lawn.
This is Kevin. He puts his frisbee in the way so his human is forced to throw it for him. 14/10 downright genius tactics pic.twitter.com/NrBg6wNHGX — WeRateDogs® (@dog_rates) May 26, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--I Quit Watching Porn For My Wellbeing. Lockdown Is Testing My Resolve

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You’re reading Sex Diaries, a HuffPost UK Personal series about how we are (or aren’t) having sex. To share your story, get in touch on ukpersonal@huffpost.com.
I first discovered porn at university, finding it to be an excellent hangover cure. Sometimes I watched it more than once a day, though I was never hooked – rather, it was a way of killing time in between lectures and nights out.
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While many men openly admit to watching pornography, the topic is much more taboo among women – I’ve always wondered if I was weird. Porn, for me, promises bountiful reward in return for minimal effort: select a video, rev your engine and race across the finish line.
The problem was, finding a video that satisfied me was hard. Women being aggressively pummelled and called a ‘c**t’ before ‘enjoying’ a (very fake) screaming orgasm and receiving a cumshot to the face just didn’t turn me on. I’d eventually give up and head to the lesbian category, where there at least the woman’s pleasure was taken into account (hi, clitoris!). I resented the unrealistic beauty standards for female actors too, whereas the men were permitted to age, sport body hair and develop a beer gut – just as long as the penis was huge, too.
Nonetheless, my orgasms prompted by porn were… fine. But even having got myself from A to B to Z I still felt a niggling dissatisfaction; it looked like an orgasm, it felt like an orgasm, but the experience hadn’t felt organic.
“I decided to go cold turkey, replacing porn with nothing but my imagination.”
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4x6 via Getty Images Woman lying on bedhttp://www.twodozendesign.info/i/1.png
Magazines like Cosmopolitan, in their efforts to normalise porn culture, encourage women to take ‘the plunge into porn’ in order to add fun and spice into their love lives. But these magazines aren’t our first encounter with porn: like many girls of my generation, the Playboy pencil case accompanied me on my first day of high school, my pre-pubescent self? blissfully unaware of the cute bunny emblem’s significance. Against this hypersexualised backdrop, it was no wonder I felt pressured to be the cool girl who didn’t care if her boyfriend masturbated to other women.
It was during a California fling last summer with a Christian who’d disavowed porn when it finally dawned on me: if a gorgeous, red-blooded man could confidently declare pornography to be demeaning to women and detrimental to relationships, then why couldn’t I?
I decided to go cold turkey, replacing porn with nothing but my imagination. In her book Pornland: How Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality, Dr. Gail Dines explores the way porn has seeped into our lives, writing that: “what the ’Porn is fantasy’ camp misses is that porn actually works to limit our imagination and capacity to be sexually creative by delivering images that are mind-numbingly repetitive in content and dulling in their monotony”.
The thought of indulging in my imagination was daunting at first, but I soon got the hang of it – I had a master’s degree in script writing, after all. I could definitely come up with something more realistic and tailored to my tastes! The result: it was as if I’d serviced my soul as well as… well, you know.
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Something else which empowered me to reject pornography was discovering feminism, and in time, I came to feel more secure in my body image and sexuality. I stopped shaving my entire pubic area / shearing all my pubes off (I know I just called myself a feminist but I’m not enlightened enough for the word vulva yet...), no longer willing to put the preferences of porn culture above my own, and became more conscious of the importance of female pleasure.
“With so much free time on my hands, not to mention a dose of existential horniness, it’s been tempting to revert back to my porn-loving uni days to escape the dread.”
But, in lockdown, resisting porn hasn’t been easy. PornHub claims traffic to the site has increased by up to 24.4% during lockdown, and I can see why – this period has been particularly tough for me. With so much free time on my hands, not to mention a dose of existential horniness, it’s been tempting to revert back to my porn-loving uni days to escape the dread and pass the time.
But, getting through lockdown has cemented my beliefs, and I stay motivated by remembering how I used to feel once the deed was done. It also helps to remember I’m not alone—I confide in my new Christian friend and look to Fight The New Drug, a fantastic non-religious organisation which raises awareness of pornography’s harmful effects using only science, facts and personal accounts.
It’s been nine months since I quit porn. Going forward, I don’t want my next boyfriend to be a porn user. Worrying about finding someone whose beliefs align with mine does cause anxiety — people are quick to sneer that “every guy watches porn” — but I’m hopeful there’s someone out there for me.
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And in the meantime? In the storylines I invent in my head (hi, Keanu!) the woman never needs to fake her orgasm, and she’s never forced to give the director a blowjob once filming is done for the day. However challenging lockdown is, I’m going to continue putting away my phone at bedtime, leaving both hands free...
Laura Lou Ellen is a freelance writer, writing under a pseudonym


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-29--My Half Siblings Found Me On 23andMe. I Wasn't Prepared For What Happened Next

Courtesy of Melissa Guida-Richards The author.
When I first found out at age 19 that I was adopted, my life turned into a telenovela. I was no longer my parents’ perfect little Italian daughter but a Colombian adoptee, raised to know nothing about her birth culture. All I knew was my birth mother’s name from my adoption paperwork, that I was a lighter-medium skinned Colombian and that the orphanage said I was likely a mestiza (mixed race).
In 2017, about four years after I found out that I was an international adoptee, I decided to do a 23andMe DNA test. I was tired of not knowing any answers about who I was at my very core. I had no idea how to go from being a proud Italian woman to a Latina who didn’t know the first thing about Colombian culture. All I knew was that I felt somehow ‘less than’.
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I didn’t belong to my family anymore. How could I when they lied to me for so long? When they often made fun of Latinos like me?
After I knew about my adoption, my family would tell me that I was white like them, so I had no right to complain. When strangers told me to get out of their country, I “must have misunderstood.” They didn’t believe that racism existed. For most of my life, I was forced to study the Italian language in school, work at my dad’s Italian restaurant and eat pasta more days than I could count.
It had been all I’d known of my culture growing up, but it always felt wrong. Like there was more to me. And just four years after discovering my adoption, I could finally say that I was a woman of colour. A Latina with Indigenous, Eastern Asian and some African roots. That less than half of my genetic makeup was Italian or even European.
Finally, I had some answers. Finally, I felt like I could really make connections with other adoptees of colour through online groups on Facebook and Twitter. Finally, I knew why I felt different from my entirely European family that was straight off the boat from Italy and Portugal.
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“Finally, I knew why I felt different from my entirely European family that was straight off the boat from Italy and Portugal.”
Before I knew I was adopted I had grown up on stories of my father tending goats in Italy and my mother washing clothes in a stream in Portugal. It was always instilled into me to have pride in our culture ... just not my birth culture.
Looking back at their decision, and now knowing I am adopted, it hurts more knowing that they also spoke Spanish and could have taught me my birth language. The frustration over the way I was raised built up until I went into therapy while I was in college. Eventually, I was able to come to terms with some things, while pushing others aside since it was easier.
It took a long time for me to come to peace with the fact that not everything is black and white. Now I’m 26 and being a parent of two sons is more than enough for me to feel like I have a connection with my biological family. I am starting to heal.
Then in 2019, just two years after my DNA test and because of it, I received an email. “Hi, this may be weird and I don’t mean to bother you but I’m your half-sibling.” In a matter of seconds, I went from having zero biological relatives other than my children, to having a sibling only a few years older than me.
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Finally, there was someone else out there like me. After years of feeling like the broken, weird, outsider in my adoptive family, there was someone else.
“In a matter of seconds, I went from having zero biological relatives other than my children, to having a sibling that was only a few years older than me.”
Initially, I was overwhelmed with joy, but I soon realized that it went hand in hand with grief. How was it fair that I had no idea of this? That we, two siblings, were separated and yet adopted to the same country? Why did the world think that that was okay? Why did my parents act threatened when they found out about my sibling?
I exchanged emails back and forth throughout that first day with my half-sibling, Sam (whose name has been changed), and discovered that we had so many things in common. It was the first time in my life that I actually experienced similarities with a relative. All of my life, I had very little in common with my cousins and even my (adoptive) brother – which made more than a little sense when I found out that I was adopted.
I really tried to not get my hopes up, but I had started to think about the possibility of visiting my sibling once we got to know each other better. And I had hope of finally having someone in my family that I could get along with.
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I was entirely too eager, and not thinking things through. All I had known about adoption reunions came from television shows and news reports showing happy biological family members hugging and crying in each other’s arms. I had jumped into these conversations over email with such trust, joy, and excitement because I expected the same response.
“All I had known about adoption reunions came from television shows and news reports showing happy biological family members hugging and crying in each other’s arms.”
In the brief exchanges over a couple of days, I told Sam about finding out at 19 that I was adopted, how I loved to read and that I had two children ― his nephews! I could tell we both were eager to have a birth sibling to talk to since we were both adopted.
I told practically everyone in my life about the exchange. My husband, parents, friends and my group of mom friends online. I was that excited. The only one who had a hard time with it was my mother. She grew quiet the first time I mentioned it to her over the kitchen table at her house, as my dad urged me to visit this sibling I had just “met” online.
I felt like my head was going to explode when I received another message from the DNA site, that I had yet another half-sibling.
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I should have realised that this was more than a coincidence, but I naively asked Sam if he knew anything about the other sibling, with whom we shared a biological mother. He did – because they were both adopted and raised by the same adoptive family.
Due to my past with my parents lying about my adoption, I couldn’t handle such a simple lie of omission, so things escalated quickly.
I accused them both of lying, writing a scathing email about how I felt wronged. How could he expect to start a relationship with me after leaving out the truth about our family? How did he expect me to trust them, when they lied by omission about the existence of another sibling? How did they think I would feel after finding out that they had looked me up online and decided together that it would be best to lie to me?
We argued back and forth trying to explain our sides, but the damage had already been done in just a few days. I was distraught. Angry. Frustrated. Heartbroken. Once again, my family thought that it would be best to lie to me. But this time was worse, in a way.
They had both known about me for months, looked up my blog, and social media, and they had both decided that it would be easier to just not tell me about the eldest of the two, Jamie (her name has also been changed). Sam wanted to try for a relationship with me, and Jamie wanted no part of it. For them it was the best solution to pretend Jamie didn’t exist.
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“As adoptees I would have thought they would understand how any information about my birth family was vital to me. That hiding any part of our family would hurt me, or any other adoptee.”
As adoptees I would have thought they would understand how any information about my birth family was vital to me. That hiding any part of our family would hurt me, or any other adoptee. But since they had grown up together and knew about their adoptions since they were small, it didn’t really process for them why it felt like such a betrayal to me
The anger was all-consuming. It was a tidal wave I couldn’t control, and I sent very angry emails asking for an apology for the lie. We fought. They refused to see it as a lie. It was one sibling protecting the other because Jamie wasn’t ready for a relationship with me. Their bond, from growing up together, and being biologically related, is something I could never have. And I realised that that was why I was so hurt. I felt rejected and alone. Adoption removed me from a life in an orphanage… but it also took my first family away.
When it comes to reunions of birth families, they are often not like the movies. There’s heartbreak, anger, numbness and general confusion. People often expect an instant connection with their biological relatives because they share blood, but that can take some time or often never fully develops.
I was never really interested in finding my birth family until the opportunity presented itself. International adoptions are often chosen because the process can be easier, and adoptive parents don’t have to worry about the birth family becoming involved. Which meant that I really didn’t expect to find my birth family unless I spent a lot of money on a private investigator in Colombia.
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“People often expect an instant connection with their biological relatives because they share blood, but it can take some time or often never even fully develop.”
Adoption has left some deep scars. Scars that I know that others share. Scars that don’t just go away when we finally get to connect with a person who shares the same genes. Adoption is more complicated than the movies make it out to be, and reunions with your birth families are even more so.
My biological siblings and I may have come from the same mother, but we don’t share the same experiences. Society has pressured us to immediately connect upon meeting one another when we barely could pick the other out from a crowd of strangers. It’s okay for reunions to be imperfect and painful because not all things in life are meant to be the way the movies portray.
Over the last year, I didn’t have any regret about learning about them, and I held out hope that we could heal and connect further down the road. But now, the Covid-19 pandemic has given us an additional push to work on our relationship. Our adoptions have left trauma for all of us in entirely different ways, but we have moved past what happened, as much as we can, since we do not want to lose the chance to get to know one another. There’s nothing like a pandemic to show how important family is, and having a relationship with both siblings during this time has filled some of the holes in my heart that adoption left. I’m beyond glad to have them in my life, and only hope that one day soon the world is a little less dangerous so we can all meet in person.
Ultimately, it took longer than I thought it would for our relationship to prosper, as well as many, many, hours of therapy to get to a stable place. Reunions with biological relatives can be beautiful but there are so many layers to everything – which made me determined to share my story and help protect adoptees from rushing into things without the proper support.
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We may never be what we were supposed to be. But we are still family ― flaws and all.
This article first appeared on HuffPost Personal.