thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-18--Leaders Demand Investigation As Portland Protesters Snatched From Streets By 'Occupying Army' Of Pol

Leaders Demand Investigation As Portland Protesters Snatched From Streets By 'Occupying Army' Of Police

Federal officers prepare to disperse the crowd of protestors in Portland. Mason Trinca via Getty Images
Leaders in Oregon have demanded an investigation into “paramilitary assaults” against protesters in Portland by federal police, who have reportedly snatched demonstrators from the streets and detained them in unmarked vans.
The mayor of Portland has demanded US president Donald Trump remove federal law enforcement from the city, and the state’s US senators have also urged a probe into the actions of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) forces.
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Protesters are continuing to gather in their thousands in the city, maintaining a presence almost two months after the police killing of George Floyd, a Black man from Minneapolis.
HuffPost US reported that the furious reaction from leaders followed reports earlier this week that troops in military fatigues with “police” patches and no other obvious identification grabbed and detained anti-racism protesters in Portland.
The squads — which were dispatched by DHS — have been manhandling protesters since at least Tuesday, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. As yet it has not been made clear why Portland has been specifically targeted by the DHS crackdown.
Demonstrators in Portland on July 16. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Officers have reportedly been using the technique of grabbing protesters from the streets of the city since at least Tuesday.
Two protesters, Mark Pettibone and Conner O’Shea, told Oregon Public Broadcasting they were chased by an unmarked minivan early Wednesday morning as they were heading home after peacefully demonstrating. Pettibone did not escape.
“I am basically tossed into the van,” he told OPB. “And I had my beanie pulled over my face so I couldn’t see, and they held my hands over my head.”
He said the officers did not identify themselves or state the reason he was being detained, and only read him his rights after placing him in a cell. Asked if he would waive those rights to answer a few questions, Pettibone declined and requested a lawyer. He said he was released after about 90 minutes.
The whole ordeal was “terrifying,” Pettibone told The Washington Post.
Officers with the US Marshals Service and Customs and Border Protection have descended on Portland, stating that they are on the scene in order to protecting government-owned property throughout the course of the protests.
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CBP agents are in the city because of an executive order Donald Trump passed in response to the protests, a spokesperson said in a statement to Mother Jones.
In a statement released Thursday, acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf characterised the demonstrations as a “siege” against the city of Portland by a “violent mob,” and accused “anarchists” of painting graffiti on buildings.
“Each night, lawless anarchists destroy and desecrate property, including the federal courthouse, and attack the brave law enforcement officers protecting it,” Wolf said. “A federal courthouse is a symbol of justice ― to attack it is to attack America.”
Police gather as protesters gather during a demonstration. ASSOCIATED PRESS
In fact, the demonstrations have been largely peaceful, with standoffs between protesters and Portland police dressed in heavy riot gear recently becoming more tense.
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Last weekend, one of the federal officers shot a protester in the head in front of the federal courthouse, severely injuring him in an incident caught on video.
Local and state officials have railed against the officers’ presence, calling it a political stunt staged by the president.
Oregon senator Ron Wyden blasted the “paramilitary assaults” by an “occupying army.”
It’s “painfully clear this administration is focused purely on escalating violence without answering my repeated requests for why this expeditionary force is in Portland and under what constitutional authority,” he said in a statement from members of Oregon’s congressional delegation demanding an investigation. “The Office of Inspector General must investigate Trump’s assault on Americans’ constitutional rights now.”
Fellow Democratic senator Jeff Merkley accused Homeland Security and the Justice Department of engaging in “acts that are horrific and outrageous in our constitutional democratic republic.”
Authoritarian governments, not democratic republics, send unmarked authorities after protesters. These Trump/Barr tactics designed to eliminate any accountability are absolutely unacceptable in America, and must end. pic.twitter.com/PE4YfZ9Vqd — Senator Jeff Merkley (@SenJeffMerkley) July 16, 2020
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Oregon’s Democratic representatives Earl Blumenauer and Suzanne Bonamici have also supported the joint statement.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-18--RuPaul's Drag Race Star Chi Chi Devayne 'Overwhelmed' By 'Outpouring Of Love' Since Being Hospitalis

RuPaul's Drag Race Star Chi Chi Devayne 'Overwhelmed' By 'Outpouring Of Love' Since Being Hospitalised

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RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Chi Chi Devayne has said she’s been “overwhelmed” by the “outpouring of love” she’s received since being hospitalised with suspected kidney failure.
Chi Chi was admitted to hospital earlier this week, telling her Instagram followers: “I have high blood pressure and they’ve said that I’m going through kidney failure.
“So tomorrow they’re going to give me a biopsy on my kidneys and let me know what it is that’s making my blood pressure so high.”
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Chi Chi then disclosed that she’d undergone dialysis treatment to try and “get my kidneys back functioning”, noting: “I let it go too long without going to the doctor and these are the consequences. Take care of your body.”
Chi Chi in her All Stars 3 publicity picture Logo
Since then, Chi Chi’s fans and fellow drag queens have been sending their well wishes, as well as posting her Paypal and Venmo accounts so fans can contribute to her medical bills.
Send a special prayer for my baby Chi chi Devayne. We need to bombard heavens gates.. speak her name and thank God for his will to be done.. speedy recovery baby girl.. — Kennedy Davenport The Dancing Diva of Texas (@kennedyddoftx) July 16, 2020
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Send this angel some love and healing energy. pic.twitter.com/IThNPcKPw1 — Black Lives Still Matter (@thatonequeen) July 17, 2020
Please Send all your love and support to Chichi Devayne 🥺😍🙏🏾
•Venmo - @Zavion-Davenport
•Cashapp - $ZavionDavenport
•Paypal - chichikdevayne@gmail.com
pic.twitter.com/RiKJfzNfMa — The Vixen (@TheVixensworld) July 16, 2020
I don’t believe in much but ALL the love and healing energy to Chi Chi Devayne! Flawless, stunning, and we need her back on the stripper pole in top form! ❤❤❤ pic.twitter.com/G7QX7p8dCD — Trixie Mattel (@trixiemattel) July 16, 2020
Please consider helping our friend Chi Chi Devayne in any way possible. She’s experiencing major medical issues and needs our support and love more than ever ❤
Venmo - @Zavion-Davenport
Cashapp - $ZavionDavenport
Paypal - chichikdevayne@gmail.com pic.twitter.com/oZPykM6rdx — Aquaria 🖤 (@aquariaofficial) July 16, 2020
Let’s help our dear Chi Chi so she can be on her way to a speedy recovery! https://t.co/EhoXHTX0TT — Kim Chi (@KimChi_Chic) July 17, 2020
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Chi Chi – real name Zavion Davenport – has now posted a new video message from her hospital bed on her Instagram story, updating fans about her condition.
“It’s day three, and I’m feeling ‘much bettah’,” she said, referring to fellow Drag Race star Baga Chipz’s catchphrase.
“I’m ready to get the hell out of here. But I know I’ve got to get well first. But I’m ready to go.”
She then wrote: “I see you alls outpouring of love. I promise I’m gonna call y’all back I’m just still overwhelmed.”
Originally hailing from Shreveport, Louisiana, Chi Chi made it to the final four in the eighth series of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
She later returned for the third All Stars run, finishing in eighth place.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-18--Arson Inquiry Launched As Firefighters Tackle Blaze At Nantes Cathedral

An arson inquiry has been launched after a fire broke out in the Gothic cathedral of the western French city of Nantes, shattering stained glass windows and sending black smoke spewing from between its towers.
Residents and tourists watched aghast, and emergency workers cordoned off the area around the St Peter and St Paul Cathedral, in the old centre of the city on the Loire River.
Prosecutor Pierre Sennes told reporters three fires had been started at the site and authorities were treating the incident as a criminal act. He gave no other details.
Firefighters warned people to avoid the area while efforts to extinguish the blaze are under way.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-18--Phyllis Somerville, The Big C Star And Broadway Veteran, Dies Aged 76

US actor Phyllis Somerville has died at the age of 76.
A Broadway veteran, Phyllis appeared in the comedy-drama The Big C, playing Marlene, a neighbour of Laura Linney’s character.
Her manager told The Hollywood Reporter: “She was the consummate professional who lived her dream of being a working actress her entire life in NYC which spanned over 45 years.
“I will miss her greatly. Her friends and colleagues will miss her greatly as well.”
Phyllis Somerville in 2013 Mike Pont via Getty Images
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Phyllis made her Broadway debut in 1974, in the musical Over Here!, before going on to appear in shows like Once In A Lifetime, The Sum Of Us and ’Night Mother, for which she was the understudy for Kathy Bates.
On screen, she appeared in TV shows like Law & Order, House Of Cards, The Good Wife and Sex And The City, where her character famously dropped the C-bomb in a scene with Kristen Davis.
She also played Grandma Fuller in The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, which landed a Screen Actors’ Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance By A Cast In A Motion Picture.
Phyllis’ final credit was in the detective series Mare Of Easttown, in which she played Betty Carroll.
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Her biggest on-screen role, though, was in the drama The Big C.
Phyllis Somerville and her Big C co-star Laura Linney Bruce Glikas via Getty Images
Co-star Laura Linney paid her respects to Phyllis on social media, writing: “Phyllis Somerville had more moxie and verve than I ever thought possible.
“She was stunningly beautiful when she wanted to be (really take your breath away gorgeous) but never shied away from showing the danker, darker, gnarlier side of life. She was amazing.”
“RIP, you dancing marvel,” Laura added. “Your Big C family will all miss you.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-18--Holidaymakers With Credit Notes Will Get Refunds For Cancelled Trips Even If Firm Collapses, Governm

Holidaymakers With Credit Notes Will Get Refunds For Cancelled Trips Even If Firm Collapses, Government Says

Would-be holidaymakers who accept refund credit notes for cancelled package trips will get their money back if the issuing travel firm later collapses, the government has confirmed.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the Department for Transport had provided “much-needed clarity” by confirming that such cases will be covered by the Atol scheme.
Package holiday customers whose trips have been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic are entitled to a cash refund, although many travel companies are offering refund credit notes to help their cash flow.
These allow customers to re-book their holiday or request their money back at a later date, but there have been doubts as to whether they are protected by Atol.
The scheme is normally used to stop package holiday customers being stranded abroad or losing money from future bookings when operators collapse, as happened with Thomas Cook in September 2019.
Consumer group Which? has been advising people to reject refund credit notes and “insist on a refund” because of concerns about them being worthless if the issuing firm goes bust.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps said the move sent a “clear message” that people could book their holidays with confidence.
He told BBC Breakfast on Saturday that it would also prevent travel companies from collapsing, because they could offer holidaymakers credit notes instead of having to pay a refund.
Shapps added: “Up to now anyone who had a package holiday, a holidaymaker, would have been asking potentially for a straightforward refund, maybe because they were aware that if the holiday company itself went down then a credit note would not be honoured.
“What I have done today is said actually we need to make sure we are going to stand behind Atol so that, if you do have possession of a credit note, that will still be honoured, backed by government, even if that travel company goes down.
“That’s going to both reassure, I hope, consumers, holidaymakers, but also prevent, I hope, the travel companies, who have had a pretty tough time, let’s face it, from going down, because they are not going to have to automatically provide a refund unless that’s what the person wants.”
The announcement covers refund credit notes issued between March 10 and September 30 for package holidays cancelled due to Covid-19.
Consumers remain entitled to a cash refund within 14 days, although thousands have been forced to wait longer to get their money back.
CAA consumer director Paul Smith said: “This news provides much-needed clarity for consumers, who should now feel confident that their money is secure if they have chosen to accept a refund credit note for their cancelled Atol-protected booking.”
Travel trade organisation Abta said the announcement “gives reassurance to consumers and supports the travel industry at an especially difficult time”.
Which? Travel editor Rory Boland said the clarification will be “a huge relief” to customers who have accepted refund credit notes.
He added: “This is a positive step towards restoring trust in the travel industry.”
Some travel firms are offering vouchers rather than refund credit notes.
Although these are often worth more than the original booking, to incentivise customers not to request cash, the CAA said they are not Atol protected.
The government is the financial backer for the Atol scheme, which is run by the CAA.
Travel firms are required to contribute £2.50 for every package holiday customer. The money goes towards a fund which is used to repatriate or refund travellers in cases of insolvency.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-18--Megan Thee Stallion Speaks Out Over Shooting Incident: 'I'm Real Life Hurt And Traumatised'

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In an Instagram post shared on Wednesday, Megan said she was “incredibly grateful to be alive” after suffering “gunshot wounds as a result of a crime that was committed against me and done with the intention to physically harm me”.
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Clarifying reports in the media about the incident, the Hot Girl Summer star explained at the time: “Police officers drove me to the hospital where I underwent surgery to remove the bullets.
“I’m incredibly grateful to be alive and that I’m expected to make a full recovery, but it was important for me to clarify the details about this traumatic night. I’m currently focussed on my recovery, so I can return back to my life and back to making music as soon as possible.”
Megan Thee Stallion Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
Megan – real name Megan Pete – has now spoken about the aftermath of the shooting, in a post seemingly responding to those who had been discussing the incident in an insensitive way online.
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“Black women are so unprotected & we hold so many things in to protect the feelings of others w/o considering our own,” she tweeted.
“It might be funny to y’all on the internet and just another messy topic for you to talk about but this is my real life and I’m real life hurt and traumatised.”
Black women are so unprotected & we hold so many things in to protect the feelings of others w/o considering our own. It might be funny to y’all on the internet and just another messy topic for you to talk about but this is my real life and I’m real life hurt and traumatized. — HOT GIRL MEG (@theestallion) July 17, 2020
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that fellow musician Tory Lanez had been arrested on a concealed weapon charge following the incident, and later bailed.
Megan is best known for her hits like Hot Girl Summer and Savage, the latter of which topped the US charts earlier this year, when she debuted a remix featuring Beyoncé.
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All proceeds from the remixed version of Savage went to Covid-19 relief efforts in Houston, Texas, the city where both stars were raised.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-18--Big Sean Pays Tribute To 'Hero' Former Fiancée Naya Rivera

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Big Sean has paid tribute to Naya Rivera, to whom he was previously engaged, following her death at the age of 33.
The rapper and Glee star began dating in April 2013, and announced their engagement six months later, although they eventually split in 2014.
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On Friday night, Sean paid his respects to his late ex-fiancée in a post on his Instagram page, writing: “Rest In Peace Naya, God Bless your Soul!
“Thank you for blessing us all with your talent and presence. you are a hero! Not just because of how you saved your son, also because of the barriers you knocked down for so many people to make them feel confident in themselves and to stand tall and be proud when they couldn’t achieve that on their own.”
He continued: “I appreciate and cherish everything that ever happened between us for making me wiser and a better person.
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“I’m still grieving and in shock, I can’t believe this is real. I’m praying for you and your family and I know you’re watching over them and protecting them.”
Big Sean and Naya Rivera in August 2013 Goshorn/MediaPunch/MediaPunch/IPx
During their relationship, Naya featured Sean on her debut single, Sorry, which was released in September 2013.
Following their split, Sean went on to date fellow musicians Ariana Grande and Jhené Aiko, while Naya reunited with actor, Ryan Dorsey, who she’d dated years earlier.
Naya and Ryan married in July 2014, and welcomed their son Josey Hollis the following September. They eventually split in 2017.
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The late Naya Rivera Greg Doherty via Getty Images
Naya’s body was recovered from Lake Piru in Southern California on Monday after she was reported missing following a boating trip with her four-year-old son on 8 July.
The medical examiner later declared that the actor had died by accidental drowning.
Naya’s family said in a statement: “We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers for Naya, Josey and our family over the past week.
“While we grieve the loss of our beautiful legend, we are blessed to honour her everlasting legacy and magnetic spirit. Naya was an amazing talent, but was an even greater person, mother, daughter and sister.
“Heaven gained our sassy angel. We kindly request that our privacy be respected during this very difficult time.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-18--John Lewis, US Civil Rights Icon, Dies At Age 80

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John Lewis, the legendary US civil rights leader who helped organise the March on Washington and was later known as the “conscience of Congress,” died Friday at age 80.
The Georgia Democrat announced in December 2019 that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.
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“I have been in some kind of fight ― for freedom, equality, basic human rights ― for nearly my entire life,” Lewis said in a statement at the time. “I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now.”
At the head of the march from Selma to Montgomery on March 25, 1965, nuns, priests and civil rights leaders: The Rev. Arthur Matott (from left), John Lewis (head of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), Andrew Young, Sister Mary Leoline and Theodore Gill. Stephen F. Somerstein via Getty Images
Lewis has been on the front lines of the fight for democracy for most of his life. Born on February 21, 1940, to sharecroppers outside of Troy, Alabama, Lewis grew up attending segregated public schools. After watching the activism that sparked the Montgomery bus boycott and hearing Martin Luther King Jr.’s words on the radio, Lewis was inspired to join the civil rights movement and fought for voting rights ever since.
As a college student attending Fisk University, Lewis helped organise peaceful sit-in protests at segregated lunch counters in Nashville, Tennessee. At the age of 21, he volunteered to be a Freedom Rider — one of the activists who risked their lives challenging segregation throughout the South by sitting in seats reserved for white people. (The protest was inspired by Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her bus seat for a white man in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955.)
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Lewis helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and became its chairman during the peak of the civil rights movement from 1963 to 1966. Lewis organised student activism in the movement through SNCC and was eventually considered one of the “Big Six” leaders of the civil rights movement, alongside King.
At 23, Lewis was one of the organisers of and the youngest keynote speaker at the March on Washington in August 1963. He helped launch voter registration drives during the Mississippi Freedom Summer in 1964, yet another example of his determination to bring voting rights to Black people.
Lewis often faced violent consequences for his civil rights leadership. He was repeatedly arrested and beaten by police and angry mobs for challenging Jim Crow segregation in the South and fighting for voting rights.
Alabama state troopers fractured Lewis’ skull in March 1965 while he led more than 600 peaceful demonstrators in a voting rights protest across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, during what became known as Bloody Sunday. Media coverage of the cruelty during Bloody Sunday ― and the subsequent successful Selma march in which Lewis walked alongside King ― helped usher in the passage of the Voting Rights Act that year.
Lewis speaks to the media ahead of the House vote on the Voting Rights Advancement Act on Dec. 6, 2019. The bill would restore the full strength of the Voting Rights Act after a 2013 Supreme Court decision gutted it, unleashing widespread voter suppression. Mark Wilson via Getty Images
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Lewis was elected to the Atlanta City Council in 1981 and to Congress in 1986. He served as House Democrats’ senior chief deputy whip and as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Throughout his congressional career, Lewis fought to enact laws that furthered the civil rights and moral principles that he had championed since he was a young man. He helped campaign for Stacey Abrams, the Democrat who lost the 2018 gubernatorial election in Georgia and has since dedicated her career to fighting for voting rights amid allegations of Black voter suppression in the state.
“I gave a little blood on that bridge in Selma, 53 years ago,” Lewis told a crowd at a rally for Abrams just days before the election. “I’m not asking any of you to give any blood. I’m just asking you to go and vote like you never voted before. We have to vote.”
Lewis was also unfiltered in his criticism of Donald Trump and refused to attend the 2018 State of the Union address after Trump characterised Haiti and African nations as “shitholes.” The congressman said in May 2019 that if King were alive today, Lewis would tell him that Trump is “a racist” who “doesn’t understand the meaning of your life and the significance of the civil rights movement.”
Lewis was a strong supporter of impeaching Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, warning that the country he once considered a “beacon of hope” may be “descending into darkness.” Before voting to formally impeach the president in December 2019, Lewis delivered an emotional, fiery speech that alluded to his experiences in Washington that helped define the civil rights movement.
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“When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something, do something,” the civil rights icon said. “Our children and their children will ask us: ‘What did you do? What did you say?’”
Lewis held hope for the future of America even through the pandemic and widespread anger over civil rights. As protests erupted nationwide over the police slaying of a Black Minnesota man, George Floyd, Lewis remarked on the sheer scope of the movement.
“I’ve come in contact with people who feel inspired. They’re moved. They’ve just never been along in a protest — they’ve never been in a march before — they decided to march with their children and their grandchildren and great-grandchildren and to walk with them,” he said in June.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-18--Katie Price Updates Fans On Harvey's Condition, As She Confirms He's Been Moved Out Of Intensive Car

Katie Price Updates Fans On Harvey's Condition, As She Confirms He's Been Moved Out Of Intensive Care

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Katie Price has given fans an update on her son Harvey’s condition, revealing the 18-year-old has now been moved out of intensive care.
Last weekend, Katie’s spokesperson confirmed that Harvey had been rushed to hospital struggling to breathe, with a temperature of 41 degrees.
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It was later revealed that the reality star’s eldest son was in intensive care, where he stayed for a number of days.
Although she’s yet to share the specifics around Harvey’s recent illness, Katie has now said that the 18-year-old – who has Prader-Willi syndrome and autism – has been moved out of the intensive care unit.
Katie and Harvey Price during an appearance on Loose Women in 2016 Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
Sharing a number of photos of herself with Harvey in his hospital bed on Instagram, Katie said: “Hey everyone update my @officialmrharveyprice baby boy, he has been incredibly strong and brave and this evening he has improved , I’m so happy , it’s been so difficult.”
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Katie continued: “I love him so much and want to thank you all again for your support and lovely messages , this picture I’ve taken today , only one drip in and moved out of icu.”
Harvey was taken to hospital at the end of last month for “urgent medical care”, after falling ill during a celebration in honour of his younger sister Princess’ 13th birthday.
It was recently revealed that Katie and Harvey were to appear alongside one another in a new BBC documentary, Katie Price: Harvey & Me, which will aim to shine a light on “what it’s really like to be a mum of a disabled child approaching adulthood”, as Harvey moves “from child to adult services”.
Last year, it was revealed that Harvey was being moved into residential care during the week, but has been at home with his mum for the last few months due to coronavirus lockdown.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-18--9 Charts That Show Just How Bad The Coronavirus Situation Is In The US Right Now

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As the UK tries to prevent a second wave of coronavirus, over in the US they’re still trying to put a lid on the first.
The situation is becoming increasingly dire by the day and the number of deaths from Covid-19 is beginning to reflect the massive surge in infections seen in recent weeks.
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Compounding the crisis are a president still doing his best not to acknowledge anything is wrong, and an economy in tatters.
Here are nine charts that show just how bad things are right now.
1) Cases
First let’s look at the global level and the rather straightforward fact that the US has more confirmed cases of coronavirus than any other country.
Statista/GHS Index
President Donald Trump has tried to downplay this fact, saying it’s simply a result of more actual testing, a point he tried to make recently in what was possibly his dumbest tweet yet.
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For the 1/100th time, the reason we show so many Cases, compared to other countries that haven’t done nearly as well as we have, is that our TESTING is much bigger and better. We have tested 40,000,000 people. If we did 20,000,000 instead, Cases would be half, etc. NOT REPORTED! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2020
This is nonsense for two reasons. Firstly, just because you don’t confirm a case of coronavirus by testing, doesn’t mean it stops existing.
And secondly, the percentage of people testing positive out of all those being tested is increasing rapidly, a sure sign the virus is spreading.
2) Where those cases are appearing
In the early days of the pandemic, US states on the east coast were ravaged while elsewhere infection remained low.
This is no longer the case with only a handful of states now reporting fewer than 10,000 cases.
Statista
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3) When those cases appeared
While the total number of cases is alarming, the timing of them is even more so. While regions that were hotspots at the beginning of the pandemic such as New York State have seen a reduction of cases, this has been massively outweighed by the number of new infections across the rest of the country.
Statista
The US shattered its daily record for coronavirus infections on Thursday, reporting more than 77,000 new cases – amply demonstrating the country has failed to contain the first wave even as the threat of a second looms large.
On Friday another 70,674 new infections were reported across the country.
4) Deaths
The US has the highest death toll of any country – although, measured per capita, the UK, Spain, Italy, Sweden and France still have more. But when looking at daily fatalities, the numbers paint a far more worrying picture than in any of those countries.
During the peak of the crisis in April, the US was reporting more than 2,000 deaths every day. Since then, the number has reduced – but, because of the lag between people catching the disease and dying from it, it is now moving upwards again.
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Covid Deaths Statista
The very real concern is that in the coming days the daily death toll will reflect the rise in infections and spike dramatically.
5) Lockdown
As well as presenting an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, the coronavirus pandemic also presents Trump with an unprecedented economic crisis, both of which he is attempting to downplay.
The president has only tweeted once to express sadness over the death toll in the US.
We have just reached a very sad milestone with the coronavirus pandemic deaths reaching 100,000. To all of the families & friends of those who have passed, I want to extend my heartfelt sympathy & love for everything that these great people stood for & represent. God be with you! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2020
Meanwhile, he has tweeted positively about the economy 37 times since the beginning of June.
The Lamestream Media is not talking about what is happening with the Stock Market and JOBS. Both are doing GREAT! The Radical Left will destroy the USA. Be careful what you wish for! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 13, 2020
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This is for one simple reason – his re-election hinges upon it. Hampering the economy and therefore his chances of reelection are the lockdowns in place across the US.
Trump has aggressively pushed for states to reopen as quickly as possible but it’s up to the governors of those states, not the White House.
And with the south of the country facing a resurgence in cases, many states have not only paused the plan to end restrictions – most are actually reversing, and reimposing lockdowns.
States Reopening Statista
6) The economy
Despite Trump’s positive spin on US economic performance, the country has taken a battering and a recovery is way off.
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Although it has been falling since May, unemployment is still at a massive 11.1%. Trump has repeatedly trumpeted the jobs added without adding the context of the overall drop.
What this means for the average American is that nearly half of all households have had their incomes negatively affected by the pandemic.
Household Incomes Statista
7) Mental health
The pandemic has not only taken a physical toll on those infected with the disease. It has hit the mental health of an even wider segment of the US population.
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A recent survey showed a massive surge in the number of Americans reporting symptoms of anxiety and/or depression compared to last year.
Mental Health Statista
8) American pride
For decades, American pride has been – for better or worse – the fuel of western civilisation.
While on the decline in recent years, it has taken a huge knock in 2020.
American Pride Statista
9) The election
The botched response to the pandemic, the huge death toll and the economic damage has been devastating for Trump.
Despite being largely confined to his home, his Democratic opponent Joe Biden is currently trouncing him in the polls.
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Trump vs Biden Statista
The United States recorded a total of at least 70,674 new Covid-19 infections on Friday after climbing by a record 77,499 a day earlier, the largest increase posted by any country since the pandemic started, according to a Reuters tally.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-18--Big Brother's First Winner Craig Phillips Looks Back: 'I Thought No One Would Watch It... I Didn't W

Big Brother's First Winner Craig Phillips Looks Back: 'I Thought No One Would Watch It... I Didn't Want To Be Famous'

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On 18 July 2000, the first episode of Big Brother debuted on Channel 4. Ten complete strangers agreed to live together under constant surveillance, in a bid to last as long in the infamous house as possible and bag themselves £70,000.
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What followed was a game-changing TV phenomenon.
Big Brother’s unique premise meant there was already some intrigue around its launch, but no one in those early days could have predicted how the show would eventually change not just the TV industry, but the face of celebrity culture in just a few short years.
Before long, millions were tuning in nightly, and Big Brother swiftly became an instant – if temporary – fame machine, with many hopefuls seeing the show as an opportunity to snatch those all-alluring 15 minutes of fame.
Big Brother’s eventual first winner Craig Phillips had a rather different motivation for signing up, though.
Craig in Big Brother's first ever Diary Room Channel 4
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Craig became aware of Big Brother after watching a documentary about the original Dutch version of the show. At that time, he was fundraising for Joanne Harris, a family friend with Down’s syndrome, who needed money to pay for a heart and lung transplant.
“I had no ambition to be famous in any way,” he tells HuffPost UK, on Big Brother’s 20th anniversary.
“But I thought, ‘If I get on this programme and win, I’ll get £70,000. It sounds easy enough, all I’ve got to do is live with 10 other people’. And I was wrong – it wasn’t easy, that’s for sure.”
“I thought, 'no one's heard of Big Brother, no one's going to watch it, so who cares?'”
He continues: “I didn’t go on for any other reason, I just thought it would be a quick and easy way to win a lot of money. I was set on trying to get a quarter of a million pounds for Joanne Harris. I just thought, ‘no one’s heard of Big Brother, no one’s going to watch it, so who cares?’.”
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As it turns out, Craig was wrong on that front, too. By the first eviction, the show was being watched by 3.4 million people, a figure which had shot up to an estimated 10 million by the time the live final came seven weeks later.
Obviously, with no contact whatsoever with the outside world, the original housemates had no idea just how popular the show was becoming, which potentially explains one of Big Brother’s earliest outrageous moments, in which several of the housemates – including Craig – stripped off, covered themselves in wet clay and painted the living room with their bodies.
Recalling of the attention-grabbing incident, Craig says: “We were getting a bit bored in there, and it was only the first week. We were just having a laugh, we never even thought it would get put out to the public.
“We just thought ‘if they’re editing bits out, they’re gonna edit in the actual pottery’ – not necessarily thinking they’d be showing us naked and painting each other’s bodies with clay, then pressing ourselves against the walls.
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“No one had ever seen it, so we were all a bit naive going into it. Not that I’m, making excuses, and I’m certainly not sorry I did it – it was just a bit of fun. It was a bit like when students all get in their halls of residence and they’re all taking the piss a bit.”
Still, uninhibited though he and his housemates may have been, Craig says he “never really got used to” being on camera for every minute of the day.
“Whenever people used to say 'I forgot the cameras were there'... that's a load of bollocks.”
“I wouldn’t say you ever switch off from the cameras. You see them, you hear them, and you’re reminded by Big Brother that you’re being filmed” he remembers.
“You’re aware the cameras are in the bedroom, they’re over the top of your head when you’re sitting on the toilet… sometimes when we were lying in the bedroom or the conversation dropped, we’d hear camera-men pulling cables or changing the lenses or dropping things behind the mirrors, and the odd cough here and there. And we were so isolated in there, it was quite refreshing to hear other people.
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“So whenever people used to say ‘I forgot the cameras were there, I didn’t mean to do that, I didn’t mean to say that’, that’s a load of bollocks, to be honest. You do know they’re there, you just cope with it. For me, I just tried to ignore them, get on with it, and try not to behave too stupidly.”
Craig Phillips on This Morning in 2019 Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
Craig was also at the centre of what was undoubtedly the series’ most headline-grabbing moment, which saw contestant Nicholas “Nasty Nick” Bateman ousted for cheating.
In the lead-up to the incident, Viewers had already seen Nick making up lies to keep his fellow housemates on his side (including the death of a fiancée), as well as trying to influence the nomination process, which went directly against Big Brother’s rules.
In an episode that was recently revisited as part of the celebratory Big Brother’s Best Shows Ever series, Craig spoke to the rest of the housemates individually about Nick’s behaviour, before confronting him as a group.
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Craig admits he had never actually seen the episode in question, aside from a few clips, until E4 repeated it in 2020, noting: “It was a little bit cringe-y, but I did kind of get a clearer insight into how much of a cheat and a liar Nasty Nick was. Without seeing [the episode]… I underestimated how blatant he was.
“So that was a bit of a surprise... quite an upsetting and disappointing surprise for me, but certainly interesting.”
He recalls: “[When we confronted him], he tried to put up a bit of an argument. We’d have respected him a bit more if he’d just held his hands up and said ‘I’ve been an idiot, this is what I’ve done’, [but] he left it until we – I’m not saying dragged it out of him – but we had to basically bring him evidence and confront him.”
“I even went to Big Brother at one point and said, ‘If Nick is not kicked out, I’m going home'.”
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At the time, many viewers noticed that Craig took the Nick situation more seriously than many of the other housemates, but as he points out: “I’d gone in there to win this money for this young lady and all of a sudden, I’m up against a cheat. And I only wanted to play fairly, basically.
“So, for me, I was starting to get a bit wound up… I think I even went to Big Brother at one point and said, ‘if Nick doesn’t go, if he’s not kicked out, I’m going home. I’m not staying in a programme if it’s not going to be fair’.”
In the end, Nick’s behaviour led to him being shown the door, but even though it was the outcome Craig wanted, he recalls there being a sombre mood when his housemate was ejected.
“That was quite a morbid day, saying goodbye to him,” Craig reveals. “We did feel sorry for him, because we were concerned that if the programme had got big, how would he be received outside? It was a morbid day, not a nice afternoon. It was like a funeral feeling.
“Little did I know, it was enhancing my profile, and making people warm to me. And that could be the reason I went on to win, but honestly I don’t know.”
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Craig confronts Nick in the Big Brother house Channel 4
Despite being nominated for eviction more times than any of his housemates (including the five consecutive weeks leading up to the final), as time rolled on, the thought began to occur to Craig that the coveted £70K could soon be his.
“We never knew how we were getting perceived outside, he says. “But it got to about two weeks before the end, and I suddenly thought ‘you know what, I’ve won this’.
“I’d been up against who I thought were the tough competitors, and they were all kicked out. And I woke up one morning – I don’t want to sound cocky, but it was a nice feeling, two weeks left, and all the big boys have been kicked out, and I had a sudden confident feeling that I could win.”
Of course, the feeling was right. The first ever celebratory Big Brother final was a fitting end to what had been a huge series, and it was difficult not to feel excited on Craig’s behalf as Davina McCall led him out of the house to a fireworks display in his honour – and an extra £70,000 in his bank account.
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As it turned out, though, Craig’s buzz on the night was cut short very quickly.
Craig with fellow Big Brother finalists, Darren and Anna Channel 4
“It was a big celebration for everybody else on the last night, but not for me, that’s for sure,” Craig recalls. “What you saw on television, me coming out of the house, meeting Jo, and seeing my family... then getting up on stage with all the other Big Brother housemates and the fireworks – that, for me, only lasted five minutes.
“The moment the cameras stopped, I was rushed away by bodyguards. Literally dragged off, put into a vehicle, police escort, whisked away to a big hotel. And it was scary, it was like I was being kidnapped… it was all rush-rush, not many people were talking to me or explaining to me what was happening and why.
“All I wanted to do was see my friends and family, you know? I’d been cooped up for 64 days, I wanted out, I wanted to have a party.”
Instead, he was sat down with Big Brother’s psychiatrists, who calmly tried to explain how big the show had become during his time away from the outside world and, as Craig puts it, “how I was going to have to adapt to things”.
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“It was a big celebration for everybody else on the last night, but not for me, that’s for sure.”
“It was quite a nerve-racking thing, when you’ve got a psychiatrist telling you that you’ll be on the front page of every national newspaper, and every radio station and every news bulletin was talking about you,” Craig says. ”[The psychiatrist]’s words were ‘you’ll be the most talked-about person in Britain’.
“It’s scary, you know, I can recall hearing what he was saying to me, but I wasn’t fully digesting it. You try to process that in your mind, that all of a sudden the whole country knows your name, but where do you go from there? What do you do? It’s quite a scary thing to digest. So I’ve got to say that wasn’t the best night.”
He adds: “I had a briefing with press officers and had people telling me security would be with me 24 hours a day, and they’d be chaperoning me around, that I couldn’t go home [because] the press would be chasing us. And how do you deal with that?”
Craig celebrates his win with Big Brother host Davina McCall PA
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After four hours, in the early hours of the morning, Craig was allowed a visit from his cousin, Steve, which is the moment he was given his first opportunity to really celebrate.
“When Steve arrived, the agents and the security guards were like please don’t try and leave the building or anything, if you want anything come to the door and the security can relay it to whoever’,” he says.
“We were in this big massive suite, two or three thousand pound suite, with this massive bed in the middle. And basically, you know that scene in Rocky III where Rocky and Apollo are on the beach? It was a little bit like that, two grown men bouncing up and down on the bed and hugging each other, and screaming and shouting.
“And then, we had the bodyguards knocking at the door – and we thought we were going to get told off for making too much noise, but they just brought in two lovely steaks and a few bottles of champagne and beers and things like that. So we enjoyed a lovely meal, at about four o’clock in the morning.”
“The psychiatrist's words were ‘you’ll be the most talked-about person in Britain'. What would you do if someone told you that?”
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Even that wasn’t to last, though, and before long Craig was given some clothes to change into and told he had to head back to the Big Brother house for his first press conference.
He jokes: “I was like ‘oh shit, I haven’t had any sleep yet’. And we’d been drinking! From that day, my life changed, and that was basically my life for the next 97 days – security picking me up early in the morning, taking me everywhere I needed to be, chaperoning me around. Chaperones, press officers, stylists – it was a bit of an entourage that travelled around.”
Although Craig has made the most of his time in the spotlight, presenting numerous DIY and home makeover shows in the last 20 years, he maintains that fame was not something he ever sought out.
In fact, had he not made it onto the first series of Big Brother, he admits he probably wouldn’t have tried out for any future years, because of how famous the contestants ended up becoming.
Craig posing with Victoria Beckham at the Elle Style Awards, months after his win Richard Young/Shutterstock
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“When I went on Big Brother, I didn’t want to work on TV, I didn’t want to be known or recognised or famous in any way, it just kind of turned out that way for me really,” he says.
“When you see [later] series, they knew they were going to be household names when they came out. So I probably wouldn’t have applied, I’d have viewed it a little bit differently.
“And people say to me now, ‘if you didn’t want to be famous, why did you go on that programme?’ But I didn’t know we were going to be famous after going on that programme. I went on to win the money!”
Because of the permanence of celebrity news stories in 2020, and the rise of social media, Craig admits that he thinks the current crop of reality stars, made famous on shows like Love Island, have a tougher time than the early stars of Big Brother.
“The old saying was ‘news today is chip paper tomorrow’, whereas nowadays it’s not, is it?”
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“In those days, the old saying was ‘news today is chip paper tomorrow’, whereas nowadays it’s not, is it?” Craig explains. “News today, it’s there forever, because everything ends up online somewhere down the line, where it can be regurgitated at any time.
“It’s very different with reality personalities nowadays. In the middle of their shows, they’re racing for their million followers on Instagram, and they’re getting abuse. They’re getting the followers – what they want – but it’s a double-edged sword, they’re getting the problems that come with it. So, I think the pressure is on them a little bit more now.”
Still, although he may be a reluctant celebrity, it’s clear that being part of a show that was “the birth of reality TV” is something he’s proud of.
“There’s never been another format that’s done the track record that Big Brother has. Its legacy will be remembered as the pioneers of reality TV, the first ones to make relative nobodies into super-famous people,” he says.
“The whole country has just experienced major lockdown for the first time in their lives – they’ve had a little taste of what we went through, so I could see it coming back now. And I think it would go down a treat.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-18--9 Everyday Things To Do To Raise Emotionally Intelligent Kids

Camille Tokerud via Getty Images Parents play an integral role in children's emotional development.
It’s natural for parents to be concerned about their children’s academic prowess and “IQ,” but these days, more are seeing the importance of developing emotional intelligence, or “EQ.”
“Being emotionally intelligent helps kids manage their feelings in constructive ways, resolve conflict, and solve problems,” said Donna Housman, a clinical psychologist with 30 years of experience in early childhood development. “The ability to manage one’s own emotions, and cope with the emotions of others, along with an increased sensitivity to how others feel, is key to developing empathy, compassion, understanding and acceptance of differences between and among us.”
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Research also suggests that emotional intelligence is linked to greater success in school, stronger communication skills, better relationships, self-awareness, resilience, improved mental health, and other positive outcomes. The good news is parents can help lay the foundation for this success early in their children’s lives.
“A parent’s role is integral to the development of children’s emotional intelligence,” Housman noted. “Given that children develop within the context of relationships, parents’ responsiveness, support and reassurance is vital in helping children learn to effectively manage and cope with the vast array of emotions they experience on a daily basis.”
To that end, HuffPost asked Housman and other experts to share some simple, everyday ways caregivers can foster emotional intelligence in their children. Read on for nine suggestions.
Practice Identifying Emotions
“To help build a child’s emotional intelligence, parents can and should help their kids identify their emotions daily, and give them permission to have and experience those emotions,” advised Housman.
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The more kids practice identifying and discussing their emotions, the more comfortable they will be managing them. Parents can make this part of their family’s everyday ritual.
“A simple tool is to ask the question, ‘What emotion or emotions are you feeling today?‘” said Ravi Rao, a paediatric neurosurgeon turned children’s show host. “We’ve been too conditioned to respond to ‘How are you?’ with an automatic ‘fine’ even when we’re not fine. A more specific question eliciting the child to talk about their emotional state builds self-awareness and confidence.”
“Model the skills that you want your child to learn. Kids are paying attention to what we’re doing, and we’re role models, whether we’re being intentional about it or not.” - Kathy Kinsner, senior manager of parenting resources at Zero To Three
Parents can help kids practice identifying emotions in the characters they observe in books, movies or TV shows by asking questions like “Do you think that lady looks happy or sad?” Housman also suggested creating or printing out “emotions charts” to help kids recognise different emotions in themselves and others ― and understand that feelings are natural and constantly changing.
Set Aside Drawing Or Journalling Time
“Activities like journaling together can also help,” said Jean Paul Paulynice, creator of an 11-part social-emotional learning curriculum called Empowering Confident Youth. “At the end of every day, parents should sit down with their children and have them write down what happened to them, how they felt and how they dealt with their emotions.”
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He suggested that parents periodically ask their kids to look back over their journal entries, note any behavioural trends and reflect on times when they might have overreacted to a situation or acted in a manner that they came to regret later. Younger kids can do this with art by drawing pictures of how they’re feeling and explaining the art to their parents.
Talk About Your Own Feelings
As with other fundamental lessons, kids often learn more from what their parents do when it comes to emotions than from what their parents tell them to do.
“Model the skills that you want your child to learn,” said Kathy Kinsner, senior manager of parenting resources at the infant-toddler development nonprofit Zero To Three. “Kids are paying attention to what we’re doing, and we’re role models, whether we’re being intentional about it or not. For example, if you’re having trouble placing an online order, you can say aloud, ‘I’m so frustrated. I’m going to get up and take a break and then start fresh.’”
MoMo Productions via Getty Images
If parents want their children to feel comfortable talking about their feelings, they should openly discuss their own emotions with their kids as well. On any given day, parents can describe how they’re feeling, label that emotion and demonstrate how to express it in a healthy way or use problem-solving to cope with it. For parents who struggle with their feelings, this may take some extra work, but it’s worth the effort.
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“The more parents authentically and effectively deal with their own emotions and those of others, the more successful the children will be in developing healthier relationships, and achieving greater success at school, work, and in their personal relationships,” Housman explained. “When parents are more aware of their own emotions, sensitive and empathic to the emotions of others, both children and parents will feel better, relate better, and live better!”
Normalize Negative Emotions
Although it’s natural for parents to want to shelter their children from negative experiences or emotions, this actually does a disservice to their emotional development. Instead, parents should help their kids understand that all feelings are natural and normal, and it’s how we deal with them that matters most.
“You can make emotional intelligence a priority in your children’s development by doing what I call ‘Don’t Save Your Kids,’” said clinical psychologist John Mayer. “That means don’t overprotect your kids from life’s stressors. Don’t run interference between kids and life ― school, activities, teachers ― instead of letting them learn how to handle the emotional state this brings and the responsibility of it.”
Additionally, parents shouldn’t avoid talking about negative emotions, sweep them under the rug or let them bubble up, which can lead to unhealthy outbursts. Sometimes the fear of a negative emotion is worse than the actual experience of the emotion. When you’re having a tough day, you don’t have to go into detail if it’s not age-appropriate, but you should still be honest about what you’re feeling.
“The crucial steps to fully developing emotional intelligence include noticing the emotion, labeling it, and asking what to do about it.” - Kerry Goyette, author of "The Non-Obvious Guide to Emotional Intelligence"
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“We want to teach our kids how to honour uncomfortable feelings such as anxiety and frustration in a healthy way, so they don’t feel they have to suppress these powerful feelings,” said Maggie Craddock, a family therapist and executive coach.
Discuss Appropriate Ways To Express And Manage Emotions
“One crucial element of emotional intelligence is problem solving,” said Kerry Goyette, author of “The Non-Obvious Guide to Emotional Intelligence.” “Often, when we think about developing a child’s EQ, we think only about empathy. If a child is sad, we believe all we have to do is notice their feeling and commiserate. But we can’t stop there. The crucial steps to fully developing emotional intelligence include noticing the emotion, labelling it, and asking what to do about it.”
Once parents have created a positive feedback loop by helping their kids to recognise, label and discuss their feelings, they can move onto the next step of coaching them through how to deal with their emotions, if negative. The key is to do a lot of listening and question-asking to guide them toward ways of constructively expressing and managing the intensity of their feelings.
“If they’re angry, ask what are you going to do,” Goyette suggested. “Is there something they can change? Many parents step in and solve the child’s problem themselves, but that signals to the child that they aren’t capable of doing it themselves. Instead, try coaching. You might ask pointed questions, and they might not figure it out all by themselves at first, but it helps them develop their sense of self-reliance.”
Parents can include kids in the healthy things they do to process intense emotions, like taking a walk or playing games in the backyard to blow off steam at the end of a stressful day.
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Own Up To Your Mistakes
As imperfect humans, we all inevitably make mistakes, even if we’re trying our best. When it comes to emotions, parents should own up to the moments when they unintentionally blow up in front of their kids or otherwise fail to cope with stress in healthy ways.
“We want to consistently practice admitting our mistakes and taking action to correct behaviour that may inadvertently hurt others feelings,” Craddock noted. “For example, when our spouse brings up a topic that triggers us in front of the kids, we may want to defuse the situation as kindly as possible and avoid power struggles when possible. Remember, you are always modelling relational skills in front of your kids, and you want them to internalise ways to deal with conflict that fortify their personal integrity rather than diminishing it.”
Admitting when you messed up and taking action to correct it shows kids that emotional intelligence is a lifelong skill that everyone can continue to cultivate over time. This also encourages kids to own up when they make mistakes as well, though sometimes you have to wait until the heat of the moment has passed.
“Revisit other ways to behave once everybody has had a chance to calm down,” advised Kinsner. “Say, ‘You were upset because you wanted to play with the truck. But hitting is not OK. What could you do next time? You can ask mom for help. You can ask for a turn. You can find something else to play with.’”
On the flip side, parents should also offer positive reinforcement when their kids do display emotional intelligence by recognising their good behaviour and maybe even offering a reward in some instances.
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10'000 Hours via Getty Images Mature man leaning forward towards boy, food on dining room table, family meal time, conversation, bonding
Expose Them To New Experiences And People
“Parents should seek to involve their children in new activities and experiences whenever possible, including daily opportunities for new learning experiences,” said Paulynice.
“This can include something as simple as reading a book or watching a documentary together or trying a new hobby. The idea is to expose the child to new experiences that will expand their horizons,” he continued. “Volunteering in the community, such as at a homeless shelter or a senior living centre, will also help to build empathy and compassion, which is a critical aspect of emotional intelligence.”
As kids experience new places, people and activities, their minds broaden to understand other experiences and perspectives.
“Encourage your kids to be able to put themselves in someone else’s shoes,” suggested psychotherapist Noel McDermott. “Encourage conversations that allow each other to express feelings in a nonjudgmental way.”
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While the Covid-19 pandemic may limit certain kinds of opportunities right now, parents can also make plans for future activities, turn to digital options, and get creative at home. It’s important to show kids that people can make a difference in others’ lives through their own efforts and displays of support.
“What’s the point of having emotional intelligence without putting it to use to help others?” he added. “When parents demonstrate kindness to those in their world, that kindness becomes contagious to their children. Teach empathy.”
Have Fun With Emotions
Knippenberg also recommended making emotional learning experiences fun for kids throughout their development.
“Feeling charades is a great time for your preschool child,” he said. “Watch a Disney movie with the sound off and analyse what is occurring. Include a study of your animal companions and the many ways animals demonstrate emotional and social intelligence.”
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“Reading stories together and talking about the emotions the characters are experiencing not only normalizes emotion by acknowledging others have the same kinds of feelings as us, but also helps children better understand cause and effect, and helps build empathy.” - Donna Housman, clinical psychologist
“For middle and elementary school students, watch ‘The Princess Diaries’ to see how the main character develops her emotional intelligence,” he added. “For young teens, when in a restaurant, try figuring out what other diners are feeling or talking about.”
He noted that unsupervised, unguided play also gives kids the chance to practice emotional and social skills, like how to support a friend in need or creative negotiate a conflict, on their own without adult guidance.
Read Books About Feelings
There are many excellent children’s books that specifically deal with feelings and emotional intelligence, but parents can use pretty much any story to teach these lessons as well.
“Reading stories together and talking about the emotions the characters are experiencing not only normalises emotion by acknowledging others have the same kinds of feelings as us, but also helps children better understand cause and effect, and helps build empathy,” Housman explained.
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Scotty Iseri, who created an emotional learning-focused podcast called “The Imagine Neighborhood,” recommended that parents ask kids to discuss the emotions they observe in the media they consume.
“When reading a book, or listening to a podcast, asking questions like, ‘Why do you think she is crying right now?’ or ‘Why do you think he felt that way?’, are ways to show children that you’re interested in and concerned with the emotions of other people,” he said.
Parents should also consider sharing personal stories that illustrate lessons about emotional intelligence, said author Siamak Taghaddos, whose children’s book, “The Mountain and The Goat,” focuses on cultivating a resourceful mindset.
“Share stories of how the little things matter,” he suggested. “Talk to kids not about EQ itself, but about how they, as parents, used examples of it that kids can learn from. Whether it’s how they dealt with a tough situation they faced, or how they helped someone with a problem by putting themselves in their shoes, or why they chose a certain colour for a design to help improve a product, anything that shows kids how the little things matter. Stories that show caring about others are fundamental.”
Our kids have had an exceptionally bad hand dealt to them the past few months. They’ve been separated from their entire social structure, their classrooms and all sense of normalcy. And parents have certainly struggled (to put it mildly) to keep up. So how can parents use this time at home ― whatever that looks like ― to teach their children other important life skills and foster their emotional intelligence? Enter EQ Not IQ, a package from HuffPost Parenting.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-18--No Cash, No Wi-Fi, No Help: One Mum's Story Reveals Sheer Inequality Of Home-Schooling

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When we ask Terri-Anne Hamer how she has coped with four months of home-schooling, she talks about craft-making, baking and helping her children stay on top of their school work.
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But for the single mum from Leeds, every one of these activities has been against the odds – even the simple act of responding to her children’s constant pleas for food.
“I had to explain to the kids that we only had mummy’s money and life was harder now we were in a lockdown.
“It is difficult to try and get your children to understand an adult world,” she tells HuffPost UK.
Terri-Anne's three children Kaemon Smith, 10, Amayah Durrani, six and AJ Durrani, four Terri-Anne Hamer
Terri-Anne has spent the last four months home-schooling three children single-handedly. But in addition to that – she is also in a final year of a degree herself – and surviving on Universal Credit payments and student finance.
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One of the toughest moments the family experienced was when their internet – a complete lifeline during lockdown – was cut off.
“We only had one device with the internet on in the home and that was my mobile phone. Everyone was jacking onto my hotspot and the mobile data was so slow,” Terri-Anne, 34, who lives in Leeds, told HuffPost UK.
“You feel like you are begging a stranger for your internet. It is completely degrading.”
Despite her pleas for an extension to their internet connection while she waited for her benefit payments to come through, the company cut the service off.
“You feel like you are begging a stranger for your internet. It is completely degrading.”
“All I wanted was for them to give me two days while I waited for my Universal Credit. But they said they could only give me a payment extension once every 12 months, and because I had already used it [...] they were reluctant to give me an extension even for two days.
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“So they disconnected me and we had no internet.”
Terri-Anne’s struggles are not an unfamiliar story for families around the country who face enormous financial challenges during the coronavirus crisis while also suddenly having to educate their own children.
“The build up of pressures are taking a major toll on parents’ mental and physical health and damaging family life during an intense period for everyone,” Helen Barnard, acting director of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation says.
Terri-Anne, who is in her final year of studying a BA degree in young people, communities and societies at Leeds Beckett University, says she and her children spent days trying to submit school and university work over a scrappy mobile phone connection.
“The kids couldn’t do their schoolwork properly or play games. There was a lot of arguing.”
Terri-Anne Hamer with her youngest son AJ, four Terri-Anne Hamer
Terri-Anne says as a single mum, she felt the financial impact of having her three children at home while schools have been shut to the majority of children.
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“Suddenly, I had to worry about how to feed them throughout the day. Children eat a lot more during lockdown as they are bored."”
“When Covid-19 happened and the schools closed, I felt happy that my children would be at home and safe,” said Terri-Anne. “But I also felt panicked about money and about how I was going to manage my uni work when I was on the last bit of my degree.
“Usually, I didn’t have to worry about the kids’ lunches from Monday to Friday as they had them at nursery and school and they were on free meals.
“But suddenly, I had to worry about how to feed them throughout the day. Children eat a lot more during lockdown as they are bored. You feel bad saying no as they think they are hungry as there’s nothing else for them to do.”
Terri-Anne's three children Kaemon Smith, 10, Amayah Durrani, six and AJ Durrani, four Terri-Anne Hamer
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Terri-Anne rents her home from a housing association and says she faced being evicted last year as being changed over on to Universal Credit put her into arrears.
But the Leeds mum has faced impoverishment and hardships all her life.
The eldest child of parents who were drug and alcohol users, Terri-Anne grew up in a backdrop of poverty and was in and out of care since she was a small baby.
At the age of 24, she became her brother’s foster carer. By this time, she had also had her son Kaemon, who was six months old.
Terri-Anne Hamer at the age of around two in a foster home Terri-Anne Hamer
Terri-Anne was in the final stretch of her degree writing her dissertation when coronavirus hit and the lockdown happened.
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“At the time, my ex-partner was living on the sofa so suddenly, we were cooped up together for 24 hours a day.
“After about four weeks, I realised I just couldn’t function as I was trying to homeschool my kids, going to the bedroom to try and do my own work and juggling the cooking and looking after the house and was doing most of it myself. It wasn’t working out, so I made my former partner leave.”
Terri-Anne Hamer when she first became a mum Terri-Anne Hamer
Terri-Anne is mum to Kaemon Smith, 10, daughter Amayah Durrani, six and youngest son AJ Durrani, four who Terri-Anne affectionately describes as “the craziest of the three.”
At times, Terri-Anne felt surviving on a few hours of sleep became unsustainable and trying to juggle everything and switch from “mum mode” to “academic mode” felt overwhelming. Her university gave her the chance to defer but she didn’t want to put her degree on hold any longer as she wants to study a Masters next.
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Terri-Anne said: “I run on survival mode. I know what needs to be done and I just crack on with it. I don’t think about it until the end of the day when I’m exhausted.”
Terri-Anne has organised educational activities to capture the interest of all three of her children such as getting them to make time capsules and giving them a list of things to find during a scavenger hunt.
Terri-Anne's daughter Amayah, six, enjoying climbing tree Terri-Anne Hamer
Kaemon is ahead of his years education-wise and has been put on a gifted and talented list. Although he is in Year 5, his Maths is at Year 9 level and his English is at Year 8 level.
“Kaemon does a lot of reading and I don’t have to ask him as he just does it. He gets up and does his online learning and gets online certificates.”
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Terri-Anne Hamer's eldest son Kaemon Smith, 10 Terri-Anne Hamer
When it comes to her own university work, Terri-Anne finds there aren’t enough hours in the day in between homeschooling, organising activities, cooking and running a household.
“I have had to do my uni work through the night as that is the only time I get on my own to do it,” she admitted.
“I was home schooling and maintaining the house and being a mum during the day. Then I would grab an hour to eat and chill then do my uni work once the kids had gone to bed.
“I am usually doing uni work until 3am or 4am. But the following day, I am still getting up at 7am, making breakfast and doing the homeschooling with the children.”
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“I run on survival mode. I know what needs to be done and I just crack on with it. I don’t think about it until the end of the day when I’m exhausted.””
The fact that she is a university student has made homeschooling easier, Terri-Anne believes. “If I was not at uni, I wouldn’t have a laptop or printer in the house.” she said. “Being at uni has put me in a better position for home schooling as I have the equipment and better knowledge.
“However, even though I’m at uni, I forget how to explain the basics of English to my children as I’m used to using words without thinking about them.
“I’ve had to google things like: ‘What’s a noun?’ and ‘What’s an adjective?’ just to remind myself. I can only imagine how hard it must be for children whose parents are illiterate or don’t have the education to help them.
“If my kids had been with someone like my mum and dad, it would have been a very different story for them.”
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Money is a constant source of worry for Terri-Anne. She is on Universal Credit but as she gets a student loan, she told HuffPost UK that they take away the child element. She gets around £60 a week through Universal Credit and £48 a week child benefit. And because she is studying, she is not getting the child element of Universal Credit.
“Before going to uni, I was getting income support and tax credits.” she said. “My student loan is supposed to be for my studies and living expenses, but I’ve had to use it for the kids and bills instead of the books I should have been buying.
“When lockdown happened, I was six weeks away from getting my next student grant payment.”
Terri-Anne Hamer has had to get food from food bank charities during lockdown Terri-Anne Hamer
Terri-Anne told HuffPost UK she would do little things like hair-plaiting or cooking and selling the excess or babysitting to earn a bit of extra cash for her family. But when lockdown happened, all these things ceased and finances became a struggle.
“Having the children at home has meant all sorts of extra costs.” Terri-Anne said.
“One printer cartridge cost £20 and after two weeks of printing out three children’s work, it had run out. I couldn’t afford to buy another one so I rang the school and asked if Kaemon could do his work in an exercise book and then I would take a photo and upload it to them instead.
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“Having the children at home has meant all sorts of extra costs. Even little things like printer ink are really expensive."”
“But this was time-consuming as I could only upload one photo at a time.
“There have been moments where I have felt my children are missing out on the advantages better off children get in terms of resources, although I try my best.”
Terri-Anne's daughter Amayah with some of the baking she has done in lockdown Terri-Anne Hamer
Terri-Anne says luckily, she has always stocked up on arts and crafts materials from budget suppliers, and has always done baking and cooking with her children.
Managing financially became so challenging, Terri-Anne has had to get help from food banks every couple of weeks. “There is a local charity which was redistributing produce for families. But I had to tell them we only eat halal food and no pork. My youngest two children are Muslim but I cook the same food for us all.”
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“I had to explain to the kids that we only had mummy’s money and life was harder now we were in a lockdown. It is difficult to try and get your children to understand an adult world.””
Terri-Anne says she is also fortunate as she and her children live in a four-bedroom house rented from a housing association. “Our rent works out at about £128 a week,” she said. “But I now have to pay bedroom tax for one of the rooms since my brother moved out.
“We are also lucky as we live in Chapel Allerton which is an OK area. We only got a place here by chance a few years ago when it became available. Before that, we were living in Armley where me and the kids experienced a lot of racism and there were issues with people drinking and taking drugs in the street.”
Terri-Anne says a lack of physical and social support by not being able to meet up with other people has hit her and her children the hardest.
She also urged people not to pass judgement on how other parents behave.
“I had one woman tell me I should have left my children at home when I went to the shops with them,” she said.
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“I would urge people not to judge someone and think they are being a bad parent. Take the time to get to know a person and have some empathy.”
Terri-Anne Hamer with her three children Terri-Anne Hamer
Terri-Anne has mixed emotions about her children returning to school in September.
“With my youngest starting school, that will be another uniform to buy and I don’t know where I’ll find the money.
“I would urge people not to judge someone and think they are being a bad parent. Take the time to get to know a person and have some empathy."”
“I don’t know how I’ll cope during the summer trying to keep the kids fed and entertained with limited money.
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“It is my daughter’s birthday in September and I am worried about how to make it special for her when I can’t afford the basics.
“I am dreading what is still to come and how I will cope financially and emotionally.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-18--Shielding People Like Me Can’t Just ‘Go Back To Normal’ After Lockdown, Prime Minister

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As the Prime Minister talked on Friday about more people returning to workplaces from August, and potentially social distancing coming to an end in November, this couldn’t feel further away from how I and many others are feeling.
I’m an elite disability gymnast with 22 British titles. I also have severe Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. As a result of my condition, I have frequent life-threatening allergic reactions (known as anaphylaxis) that affect every part of my life, from what I eat to who I can interact with. I am even at risk of anaphylaxis from strong smells such as perfumes and air fresheners.
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Above all, my conditions mean I’m immunocompromised. And it means that, right now, if I caught coronavirus, it’s highly likely I would not survive.
I am also autistic, which has made everything changing as a result of coronavirus harder to handle. My usual calming techniques such as going for a walk are no longer accessible to me as I have to shield. I’m having to find new ways to manage my autistic meltdowns in a world that is also having a bit of a meltdown of its own.
At the start of this crisis, I saw everyone how was helping each other out and doing what they could for people shielding, but now everything’s ’going back to normal’, as non-disabled people are starting to get a bit of normality, I’ve noticed the offers of help are reducing.
“I feel ignored and less listened to, like we’re less important members of society.”
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But we’re still shielding. Nothing’s changed for us. And I think we are starting to be forgotten.
The government’s going to take all the help away when shielding ends on 1 August, which is really unsafe, it’s putting disabled people’s lives at risk. But I feel ignored and less listened to, like we’re less important members of society and we can’t contribute much, which was already there before but this has really emphasised it.
Official figures show almost two thirds of people who have died from Covid-19 were disabled, so it’s no surprise that research by the disability equality charity Scope this week found only 5% of disabled people feel safe about shielding being paused. And two thirds of disabled people think the government’s plans for easing lockdown did not take their needs into consideration.
Scope, backed by dozens of other disability charities and campaigners, this week appealed directly to Boris Johnson to stop forgetting disabled people. We won’t be forgotten any longer. This government needs to be doing much more to protect disabled people’s rights and needs at every turn – not just through the pandemic but beyond.
I’d like to think everything will be more accessible after this because the whole population has experienced being stuck inside, which so many disabled people already knew all too well.
But if anything, what I’ve seen is that society will be even less accessible because they’re putting up new walls. I saw on our local news they were spraying down a train, and the chemicals were cinnamon-scented. I’m really allergic to cinnamon and even the smell of it makes me really ill, so it doesn’t look like I’ll be using my public transport.
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“I won’t be going out when shielding ends, I’m too anxious. I don’t see the difference between the last day in July, and the first day in August when shielding ends.”
It’s not an environment I can control at all. So, I’ll have to wear a mask to avoid the virus and a mask to avoid the scent triggers that could potentially be life-threatening.
Until I go out I don’t really know what barriers I’m going to face – and that’s anxiety-provoking. I am frightened about leaving my house after being told for months that only inside was safe.
To then get the go-ahead to leave when there are still so many cases and no real progress with testing or a vaccine? I don’t think they quite appreciate the magnitude of the situation. Or they do, and they’re just ignoring it.
So I won’t be going out when shielding ends, I’m too anxious. I don’t see the difference between the last day in July, and the first day in August when shielding ends.
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I don’t see how it’s suddenly going to be safe for people like me.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-18--The Psychology Of Star Signs And Why We Can't Stop Reading Horoscopes

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It’s been a tumultuous week for anyone who feels a close affinity to their star sign.
It started when rumours began circulating that NASA had changed the zodiac signs by “discovering” a new one – named Ophiuchus. Countless articles and tweets from passionate astrology fans followed, with many declaring allegiance to their existing sign, no matter what NASA had to say about it.
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The space agency has since published a blog post explaining that it hasn’t changed the star signs after all. “We study astronomy, not astrology,” the blog post says, adding that astrology is “not considered a science”. You don’t say.
Star signs were established by the Babylonians over 3,000 years ago, NASA goes on to add.
“To make a tidy match with their 12-month calendar, the Babylonians ignored the fact that the sun actually moves through 13 constellations, not 12,” it says. “Then they assigned each of those 12 constellations equal amounts of time.”
Ophiuchus is nothing new – but an interest in astrology is having a resurgence.
Co-Star, the astrological app that gives users daily horoscopes based on the exact time, date and place of their birth, has more than five million users worldwide with a clientele that is largely millennial, according to Vogue.
So, why are so many millions still fixated on their zodiac sign? Some of us enjoy horoscopes because we love the feeling of belonging to or identifying with a particular star sign, says psychotherapist Lucy Fuller, while others are “desperate to know what their future holds”.
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“We can spend a lot of time over thinking and telling our future story in our heads, but what lies ahead is unknown and we just don’t know what’s around the corner in life,” says Fuller. “Reading our star sign, we can believe our destiny is already decided and we can get a clue as to what it going to happen for us.”
Arguably, that feeling is even more reassuring in time of uncertainty like this.
Astrology has a large dedicated following with an ancient history, Fuller points out, which makes it feasible to us, even if it is not scientifically proven.
“What we read can often give us hope or reassurance which is very comforting, and can help us to feel positive and hopeful about our future,” she says.
“What is written is often very ambiguous and suggestive so we can read into it something that is applicable to our own circumstances, which can feel very personal and make us feel connected to our destiny.”
Astrology may have a rich cultural history – it plays a key part in some religious ceremonies – but it’s also been heavily commercialised, with horoscope hotlines charging for a daily reading, acres of astrological merch online – and newspapers and magazines using the zodiac to fill their back pages.
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One journalist, who wishes to remain anonymous, recalls feeling shocked at learning how the horoscopes were created when she did work experience at a teen magazine 14 years ago.
“I couldn’t believe it when one of my tasks was to make up the horoscopes. Literally just make them up,” she says. “I wasn’t a big horoscope fan at the time, but I still read them, and it tainted it for years after, whenever I saw the horoscopes in the mag, because I knew they were completely bullshit.”
Even knowing how some of the horoscopes we read in papers and magazines are created, Fuller points out that many people will still enjoy pouring over them – taking the content itself with a pinch of salt.
“For many people, reading their horoscope is part of their daily routine,” she says. “Just a few moments of self-care to set themselves up for the day.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-18--How Does it Stack Up? We Tried The 'McBluffin' – Here's Our Verdict

Angela Hui Sausage and Egg McBluffin
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There are very few breakfast items that belong in the god-tier category (you know what we’re talking about, right? The best of the bunch). Avocado toast? Mid-tier. Full English? Depending on how hungover you are, it can range from shit to top tier. Mcdonald’s Egg McMuffin? Flawless. God tier, for sure.
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McDonald’s has been trialling reopenings for the past month, with a limited menu and just 42 restaurants in the country offering breakfast. While a reduced breakfast menu is back this week – including the sausage and egg muffin – people have been missing their fix. Including me.
So, I decided to put matters into my own hands and have a go at recreating the chain’s best-selling breakfast item – with a plant-based twist. How does a veggie McMuffin – dubbed the ‘McBluffin’ – compare to the iconic original?
The term ‘McBluffin’ was coined by the people over at Meatless Farm – it’s basically a meat-free version of the breakfast muffin. After all, a third of Brits say they’ve been eating more plant-based food in lockdown.
“Now, more than ever, people are aware of the food they’re eating,” Morten Toft Bech, founder of Meatless Farm says. “The McBluffin is a cheeky twist on an iconic favourite that really shows how flavour-packed plant-based food can be, we hope people are ‘lovin’ it’ too!”
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The plant-based ‘sausage’ patty is made from pea protein, then loaded with herbs and spices such as sage, nutmeg, coriander, white pepper and onion powder. Meatless Farm sent me some sausages to create a patty, and I bought egg, muffin, and cheese to make my very own McBluffin. Here’s how it went.
“The McBluffin is a cheeky twist on an iconic favourite.” - Morten Toft Bech, founder of Meatless Farm
I toast the muffin on the pan with a little bit of butter to crisp it up. I don’t have a ring circle to create the circular-shaped egg (as the recipe below suggests), so I slice an onion in half horizontally, and push one of the rings out to crack the egg in. Top tip: you can peel the onion off, or leave it on for an onion-y taste.
You have to squish the meatless sausages in a patty shape, then fry, which isn’t too difficult. Next, I stack up the muffin – bread, cheese, patty, egg, bread – and dig straight in. First impressions, pretty good. The patty gives the illusion of eating ‘sausage’ with the herby flavours – but at times it’s a little overpowering to overcompensate.
Texturally, it’s spot on and I can’t tell the difference. The protein patty is juicy and stayed together beautifully without crumbling everywhere.
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However, it’s missing that vital grease and stodge, which gives the McMuffin its iconic status. This version feels a little too ‘clean’ and is lacking that certain j’en ai se quoi charm.
Angela Hui Sausage and Egg McBluffin
I’d definitely eat it again – it’s a healthier version that hits the spot, or is useful if you don’t have a McDonald’s near but get a craving. If you’re not a meat-eater or want to cut down on your meat consumption, try it as a delicious alternative.
Want to make one yourself at home? Try Meatless Farm’s recipe below.
Meatless Farm’s McBluffin
Serves: 1 | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 10 mins
Meatless Farm Egg and Sausage McBluffin
Ingredients:
1-3 Meatless Farm sausages (depending on how chunky you want your patty to be)
Olive oil
1 egg
1 English muffin
1 cheese
Method:
1. Pre-heat a frying pan over a medium heat.
2. Take out two Meatless Farm plant-based sausages and press them into one circular-shaped patty (if you don’t have a cooking ring, try rolling the sausages into a ball and then flatten them with the palm of your hand).
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3. Add a splash of olive oil to the pan, place your sausage patty in the pan and cook for 3 minutes on one side.
4. Flip the sausage patty over and cook for an additional three minutes. Meanwhile, crack an egg into the same pan – into a round cooking ring or mould (this is where I used the onion ring).
5. Break up the egg a little and make sure the yolk is spread sufficiently. After 2 minutes, the egg should have set in a circular shape so that it can be flipped – then flip your egg.
6. Place your muffins under the grill for 1 minute and then remove.
7. Your McBluffin is ready to assemble. Place your cheese slice on the bottom half of the muffin, followed by your Meatless Farm sausage patty.
8. Place your egg on top of the sausage patty and top with the muffin lid.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-18--More Than 140 Released Prisoners Housed In Hotels During Lockdown

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More than 140 offenders were housed in hotels and B&Bs after being released from prison during lockdown in a “last resort” by the government.
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The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said the decision to move freed inmates into hotels was made in a bid to prevent offenders becoming homeless and to reduce the risk of spreading Covid-19.
Of the 304 prisoners who were due for release and provided with accommodation, 136 were housed in hotels or B&Bs after all other options were exhausted, the MoJ said.
Meanwhile, of the 172 offenders released under the End of Custody Temporary Release scheme – in which prisoners who are within two months of their release date are temporarily released from custody – six were housed in hotels.
An MoJ spokesman said: “All offenders due for release are thoroughly risk-assessed and hotels have only been used as a last resort to reduce any potential spread of coronavirus.
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“These temporary measures are part of the unprecedented response to the pandemic which has helped protect the NHS and save lives.”
The MoJ has been using hotels as part of its Conditional Release Date accommodation (CRD) scheme which launched in May and will run until the end of this month.
The ministry said the scheme also helped former prisoners with their long-term resettlement and rehabilitation.
It comes after a survey by NHS England found that inmates at the closed category women’s jails HMP Send and HMP Downview in Surrey felt their physical and mental health had “deteriorated” due to lockdown restrictions.
Chief inspector of prisons Peter Clarke said: “The suspension of visits has had a particularly acute impact in the women’s estate; many prisoners in Send and Downview had not seen their children for over three months.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-18--Barack Obama Leads Tributes To US Civil Rights Leader John Lewis

As I said in an interview back in March, some of John Lewis’s last words to me were, “Keep the fight going.” & that’s what we must do. We must all become the conscience of the nation & Congress now & challenge them to rise to this moment. & when necessary, get into good trouble. pic.twitter.com/4C58pXCn9d


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-18--Met Police Must Apologise For 'Deeply Disturbing' Arrest, Lawyer Says

The lawyer for a man who was arrested as a police officer knelt on his neck – in a case that “mirrors almost identically what happened to George Floyd” – has called for a formal apology from Scotland Yard.
Marcus Coutain, 48, who is Black, was filmed pleading with officers to “get off my neck” as he was handcuffed on the pavement in Islington, north London, on Thursday evening.
The police watchdog is investigating the manner of the arrest, which has resulted in one Metropolitan Police officer being suspended and another placed on restricted duties.
Deputy commissioner Sir Steve House described the footage as “deeply disturbing” and said some of the techniques, which are “not taught in police training”, caused him “great concern”.
Coutain appeared in custody at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Saturday afternoon charged with possessing a knife in public.
He indicated a not guilty plea and the case has been sent to Snaresbrook Crown Court on August 17.
Scotland Yard said officers were called to a fight in Isledon Road at around 6.30pm on Thursday.
Footage posted on social media on Thursday evening shows two officers holding a handcuffed black man on the pavement.
At the start of the two minute, 20 second clip, one of the officers appears to be kneeling on the man’s neck and has his hand on his head.
The man struggling on the ground can be heard shouting: “Get off me … get off my neck, I haven’t done anything wrong, get off my neck.”
The court heard Coutain matched the description of a suspect in an assault case, but Coutain’s lawyer Timur Rustem said his client was initially searched for drugs.
He said his client was subsequently told he matched the description of a “someone involved in an attack” before charges were brought for having a knife.
He told the court Coutain had the blade on him for repairing his bicycle, adding: “He had a lawful reason to have that item on him.”
Speaking outside court, Rustem said his client was “very distressed and very confused and not quite sure why he was targeted in this way”.
He told reporters: “Essentially Mr Coutain was stopped and searched for matters for which he has not been charged.
“It is the use of what I would regard as excessive force, a knee being placed on his neck… references which mirror exactly what happened to George Floyd in America.
“A man saying ‘I can’t breathe’ and ‘get your knee off my neck’, while he was already handcuffed and while he was restrained by two police officers.”
He said Coutain suffered “fortunately minimal” injuries to his wrists and neck, adding: “Fortunately it didn’t lead to the tragic consequences that we saw in America.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-19--Gun-Brandishing St. Louis Couple Star In Trump Campaign Video

Trump is attempting to make the couple folk heroes, and has threatened to take action if they are charged with any crime.
Kim Gardner, the circuit attorney for St. Louis County, accused Trump of playing politics by “spreading misinformation and distorting the truth.”
Though she hasn’t yet decided whether to charge the McCloskeys with a crime, Gardner warned: “We will not tolerate the use of force against those exercising their First Amendment rights, and will use the full power of Missouri law to hold people accountable.”
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported last week that the McCloskeys have a reputation as obnoxious neighbours who have “nearly constantly sued other people and ordered people off their property.”
They have sued neighbours for making changes to their gravel road, sued a former employer for wrongful termination, sued others for defamation, and asserted “squatters’ rights” on common neighbourhood property, according to the newspaper.
The common property was apparently part of the land they claimed to be guarding with their guns from an “angry mob.” Mark McCloskey said in an affidavit last year that he had once challenged a neighbour cutting through that property “at gunpoint.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-07-19--Dominic Raab Accuses Russia Of 'Reprehensible' Attempt To Hack Coronavirus Research

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The UK will ensure the world knows the nature of the “reprehensible behaviour” that Russia is engaged in, according Dominic Raab.
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It follows accusations that Russia’s intelligence services tried to steal details of research into coronavirus vaccines.
Russia’s ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin rejected the claims and said there was “no sense” in the allegations made by Britain, the United States and Canada.
Speaking on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, Raab said it was “outrageous and reprehensible” that the Russian government is engaged in such activity.
The foreign secretary said: “We’re absolutely confident that the Russian intelligence agencies were engaged in a cyber attack on research and development efforts and organisations in this country and internationally with a view either to sabotage or to profit from the R&D that was taking place.
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“And I think the point is, first of all we’ve seen this as part of a wider systematic approach to cyber taken by Russia, and at the time that the world is coming together to try and tackle Covid-19, particularly come up with a global solution for a vaccine, I think it’s outrageous and reprehensible that the Russian government is engaged in this activity.
“So what we’re doing with our allies is making sure people know, making sure the organisations know so that they can better defend against it, but also just calling Russia out, we will do this.
“Now you will see us holding Russia to account and making sure that the world knows the nature of the reprehensible behaviour that they’re engaged in.”
Raab added: “As a leading member of the international community, a permanent member of the Security Council, Russia should be engaged in that collaborative international effort.”
Also speaking on the programme, shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said that Labour “got it wrong” on Russia, having “prevaricated” after the Salisbury attack in which former Russian military officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned.
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Following the May 2018 incident, then Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was criticised for not condemning Russia more firmly over its actions.
Nandy told Sophy Ridge On Sunday: “I think we got it wrong on Russia and I made a feature of this during the Labour leadership campaign because I felt that it really needed to be said.
“When the Salisbury attacks happened, we prevaricated, we equivocated, we called for dialogue at a moment when chemical weapons had been used on the streets of the UK.
“And what that did was not only to let an authoritarian regime that has invaded its neighbours, that has interfered in elections across European democratic countries over several years, that has had an appalling record of human rights against its own people, against LGBT people, Muslims and other minorities, and used chemical weapons on the streets of the UK, we didn’t just let them off the hook, we also let the Conservative Government off the hook.
“Because I believe the Conservatives have been desperately slow to wake up to the threat that is posed by the current Putin administration and we should have been much quicker to act in relation to that.”
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