thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--Ranvir Singh Shows Good Morning Britain Viewers How Strictly Come Dancing Training Is Taking Its Tol

Ranvir Singh Shows Good Morning Britain Viewers How Strictly Come Dancing Training Is Taking Its Toll

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Good Morning Britain host Ranvir Singh has revealed she’s already taking severe measures to ease the aches and pains of life as a Strictly Come Dancing contestant.
Ranvir made her Strictly debut on Saturday night, where she and partner Giovanni Pernice won praise for their Paso Doble routine.
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And during Wednesday’s edition of GMB, she showed viewers just how much rehearsing for the BBC dance show has been taking its toll.
Ranvir Singh with co-host Adil Ray ITV
“This week two malarkey is really hard,” Ranvir told viewers. “You’ve got hardly any days and you are learning a whole new dance.”
It was then revealed that Ranvir was actually sitting at the GMB desk with her feet in a box of ice.
“My foot is really sore,” Ranvir told co-host Adil Ray, when he questioned why the ice box was present. “It’s not all glamour, people. It’s not. But it’s great fun.”
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Showbiz correspondent Richard Arnold then joked: “Essentially I have no ice for my gin after the show now.”
"It's not all glamour, people" ITV
This week, Ranvir and Giovanni will be tackling a Quickstep to the Stevie Wonder classic You Are The Sunshine Of My Life, ahead of the first elimination of the series in Sunday night’s results show.
Other performances to look out for include HRVY’s Viennese Waltz, which follows his show-stopping Jive in the first live show, and what promises to be a scene-stealing Samba from former MP Jacqui Smith.
Find out how all 12 of the Strictly couples get on in Saturday night’s live show, airing at 7.15pm on BBC One. Good Morning Britain airs every weekday from 6am on ITV.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--Heathrow CEO Slams Lack Of Airport Testing As Losses Hit £1.5 Billion

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Heathrow airport has recorded a loss of £1.5 billion in the first nine months of the year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, after passenger numbers plummeted by more than 80% in a year.
For the first time, the London airport has been overtaken by Paris’s Charles De Gaulle as Europe’s busiest airport.
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The UK is “falling behind” as a result of being too slow on passenger testing, Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye warned.
Heathrow has repeatedly called for coronavirus testing to provide an alternative to quarantine.
It comes as the airport reported an 84% drop in passenger numbers between July and September compared with the same period last year.
Heathrow’s third-quarter revenue fell by 72% to £239 million, while earnings before tax and interest fell to £37 million.
Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport saw 19.27 million passengers in the first nine months of the year, compared to 18.97 million passengers at Heathrow.
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Heathrow opened its first rapid Covid-19 testing facility last week for passengers flying to Hong Kong and Italy, months after airports in other countries have offered testing.
The tests aim to deliver results within an hour and will be available at two new pre-departure testing facilities in Terminals 2 and 5.
Holland-Kaye said: “Britain is falling behind because we’ve been too slow to embrace passenger testing. European leaders acted quicker and now their economies are reaping the benefits.
“Paris has overtaken Heathrow as Europe’s largest airport for the first time ever, and Frankfurt and Amsterdam are quickly gaining ground.
“Let’s make Britain a winner again. Bringing in pre-departure Covid tests and partnering with our US allies to open a pilot air bridge to America will kickstart our economic recovery and put the UK back ahead of our European rivals.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--Kim Kardashian's 40th Birthday Island Getaway Tweets Inspire Ridiculous New Meme

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Kim Kardashian unintentionally inspired a new meme when she showed off photos from her swanky 40th birthday bash on Twitter.
On Tuesday night, the reality star revealed she’d flown her nearest and dearest to a private island in honour of her milestone birthday (after numerous Covid-19 tests, naturally).
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“For my birthday this year, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend it than with some of the people who have helped shaped me into the woman I am today,” she explained.
“Before Covid, I don’t think any of us truly appreciated what a simple luxury it was to be able to travel and be together with family and friends in a safe environment.”
40 and feeling so humbled and blessed. There is not a single day that I take for granted, especially during these times when we are all reminded of the things that truly matter. pic.twitter.com/p98SN0RDZD — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) October 27, 2020
For my birthday this year, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend it than with some of the people who have helped shaped me into the woman I am today. pic.twitter.com/sSZVCdbKH9 — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) October 27, 2020
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Before COVID, I don’t think any of us truly appreciated what a simple luxury it was to be able to travel and be together with family and friends in a safe environment. pic.twitter.com/lhzLIdutlZ — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) October 27, 2020
Yes, we truly did all take being flown out to private islands for granted back in the day, didn’t we?
Kim continued: “After 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island where we could pretend things were normal just for a brief moment in time.”
“We danced, rode bikes, swam near whales, kayaked, watched a movie on the beach and so much more. I realise that for most people, this is something that is so far out of reach right now, so in moments like these, I am humbly reminded of how privileged my life is.”
After 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island where we could pretend things were normal just for a brief moment in time. pic.twitter.com/cIFP7Nv5bV — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) October 27, 2020
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We danced, rode bikes, swam near whales, kayaked, watched a movie on the beach and so much more. I realize that for most people, this is something that is so far out of reach right now, so in moments like these, I am humbly reminded of how privileged my life is. #thisis40 pic.twitter.com/UYOcVBpytW — Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) October 27, 2020
Despite Kim’s guests all being tested for coronavirus prior to her birthday knees-up, many still felt that a global pandemic wasn’t quite the right time to be showing off such an extravagant bash.
And within a few hours, her post had inspired a brand new meme, with many social media users offering their own take on her island getaway…
After 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island where we could pretend things were normal just for a brief moment in time. pic.twitter.com/pqL4jQxnSr — Josh Willacy (@joshywillacy) October 27, 2020
After 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island where we could pretend things were normal just for a brief moment in time. pic.twitter.com/Tshtio8EKp — ethan (@ethanharv) October 27, 2020
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After 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island where we could pretend things were normal just for a brief moment in time. pic.twitter.com/C2o1MBpVoQ — Ben Kelly (@BenKellyTweets) October 27, 2020
After 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island where we could pretend things were normal just for a brief moment in time. pic.twitter.com/DrIy8GkwIg — kiramadeira 🤔 (@kiramadeira) October 27, 2020
After 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island where we could pretend things were normal just for a brief moment in time. pic.twitter.com/iLGHe90X7l — Nick Walker (@nickw84) October 27, 2020
After 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island where we could pretend things were normal just for a brief moment in time. pic.twitter.com/hqa2vf6HGc — jay on the walls (skream remix) (@jayhawkridge) October 27, 2020
After 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island where we could pretend things were normal just for a brief moment in time. pic.twitter.com/eO6iLfaBws — Patrick (@PrayForPatrick) October 27, 2020
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After 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island where we could pretend things were normal just for a brief moment in time pic.twitter.com/QuRcvu9RyN — Katie Rosseinsky (@Katierosseinsky) October 28, 2020
After 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island where we could pretend things were normal just for a brief moment in time. pic.twitter.com/0c1RglSd8T — Liam (@LiamLambrini) October 27, 2020
After 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island where we could pretend things were normal just for a brief moment in time. pic.twitter.com/aMXicZ70SO — Ben Yahr (@benyahr) October 27, 2020
After 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island where we could pretend things were normal just for a brief moment in time. pic.twitter.com/De61yq9ALZ — Gay of the Dead (@Philip_Ellis) October 27, 2020
After 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island where we could pretend things were normal just for a brief moment in time. pic.twitter.com/duYhjtWXTZ — j (@jcgregs) October 27, 2020
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After 2 weeks of multiple health screens and asking everyone to quarantine, I surprised my closest inner circle with a trip to a private island where we could pretend things were normal just for a brief moment in time. pic.twitter.com/KgwjGxEO6H — sarah (@slwein) October 27, 2020
Happy birthday. I hope someone got you an alphabet book as a gift, so you can learn to read the room. ✨ — machine gun Kele (@kelechnekoff) October 27, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--5 Things Chronic Illness Has Taught Me About Laziness

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Listen to Chronic, our anti-wellness podcast about living well when you’re chronically unwell. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts – just search for “Chronic”.
HuffPost UK Chronic
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Jameisha Prescod is a BBC journalist, and founder of You Look Okay To Me, a platform promoting awareness of invisible illness. She also lives with lupus, a long-term, auto-immune condition.
This week, she’s joining HuffPost’s Lucy Pasha-Robinson on the Chronic podcast to talk all things pain: how radical it is to vocalise your pain as a Black woman; the legacy of not being believed; and the emotional toll of adjusting to new limitations.
Here, Jam shares five things she’s learnt about laziness since being diagnosed in 2014:
1. Having a chronic illness does not mean you’re lazy. I know you may have been called that in the past, I know I have, but you’re literally living with a long-term condition – and it’s hard.
2. Rest when needed. I used to feel really self conscious about resting, but I had to kind of get over it, because if my body needs to rest, it needs to rest, and I should give it what it needs.
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3. Our worth is not measured by our productivity. It doesn’t mean I have good character, so I think we need to let go of that concept.
4. Laziness is a term used to shame people into productivity. That’s very harmful.
5. Have more compassion for others. Rather than thinking someone is lazy, ask yourself what you know about them. You don’t know why they need more rest, or why they feel unmotivated. So rather than judging, we need to have more compassion.
Hear more from Jam on this week’s episode of Chronic, available now on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts – just search for “Chronic”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--Danny Dyer Praised After Declaring ‘People Who Went To Eton Can’t Run This Country’

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Danny Dyer has said the coronavirus pandemic has proved “people who went to Eton” are unable to run the country.
In an interview with BBC Breakfast, the EastEnders star said the “little group” who attended the independent boarding school, near Windsor in Berkshire, have had their chance in power.
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The 43-year-old said it is now time for “working-class people” who have “lived a real life” to be given responsibility for how the UK is run.
The actor, who appeared on the BBC show alongside his daughter Dani, was asked how easy he was finding it to obey Covid-19 restrictions.
Danny Dyer - The people who went to Eton can't run this country... #BBCBreakfast pic.twitter.com/r7JrIy9WSZ — Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) October 28, 2020
He said: “It’s very confusing. It’s almost perfect to break rules really because it is hard to understand what the rules are.
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“Just keep them simple and then people will abide by it.
“We want to get out of this as quickly as possible but as confusing as it is, it just makes it so difficult.
“My one rant would be that we must learn now that the people who went to Eton can’t run this country.
“They’ve done it, they’ve tried to do it and this little small group who all went to the same school in the same class, it doesn’t work.
“So I feel we need some working-class people, people who have lived a real life, people that are in touch with what’s going on in reality, to maybe come to the front now and start to get involved in how this country is run.”
Eton College counts both prime minister Boris Johnson and former premier David Cameron among its former students.
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Asked whether he would ever go into politics full-time, Dani said: “Oh, imagine.”
Danny, who plays Mick Carter in EastEnders, replied: “No, darling, I’m too busy.
“I have got a game show on at the moment, I’ve got another podcast with my daughter, and of course I am in the greatest soap that has ever been, so I am alright for the minute.
“So let’s just watch the government unravel themselves, I think. Let’s just try and stay safe and try and not catch this thing, and on the other side I’m sure we are all going to be better, stronger, more considerate people for it.”
Danny’s comments proved a hit with viewers at home, who praised the actor for “taking sense”...
So refreshing to turn on the TV this morning & see Danny Dyer talking sense rather than yet another repulsive Tory sock puppet regurgitating the latest govt script justifying their most recent act of self-serving bastardry.pic.twitter.com/sy1ZYCajTM — Carrie (@TheWordOfCarrie) October 28, 2020
Wow Danny Dyer, I'm a convert, he's on BBC Breakfast and his words are ' we need to learn that a small group of people from Eton can't run this country, they've had a try and now we need working class people to get involved and change things as this Gov unravels !' Wow I'm in 💯 — Miss Haversham (@haversham_miss) October 28, 2020
Danny Dyer on BBC Breakfast.... honestly, at this point I'd vote for him. He talks more sense than the people in charge now. — Jaime Molloy (@Miss_Molloy) October 28, 2020
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danny dyer railing against etonians is what i love to see on my telly in the morning — Morgue-an says kiss kiss (@itgirl2020) October 28, 2020
Love a bit of Danny Dyer talking sense 💪🏻
Now looking forward to the Tory snowflakes complaining to the BBC. https://t.co/5c388Ntmb4 — Brexitshambles (@brexit_sham) October 28, 2020
Completely agree with Danny Dyer this morning. Etonians have had their chance at running this country and they simply cannot do it well. We need leaders who understand what it’s like to live outside corridors of privilege. — Jennifer Jenkins (@kairosbutterfly) October 28, 2020
The father-daughter duo appeared on the show to promote their unscripted Spotify Original podcast, Sorted With The Dyers.
Danny previously shared his views on politics on talk show Good Evening Britain in June 2018.
During that appearance, he labelled former prime minister David Cameron a “twat” for calling the EU referendum.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--Met Police Used Stop And Search On Black Men Just Because They Fist-Bumped

Met Police officers have used stop and search powers on Black men for actions as small as a fist-bump, which police took to indicate an exchange of drugs, a watchdog has found.
Following a review of recent cases involving the London police force, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the “legitimacy of stop and searches was being undermined” by a number of issues, including a lack of understanding about the impact of disproportionality and poor communication.
In one investigation a Black man in possession of someone else’s credit card was suspected of having stolen it even after providing a credible explanation, while during another officers exercised stop and search powers after two Black men fist-bumped, believing them to be exchanging drugs.
In two investigations, the smell of cannabis formed the sole grounds given for the stop.
And almost every time that handcuffs were used, the use of other tactics instead could have de-escalated the encounter, the watchdog said.
Other issues highlighted include police failing to use bodycam video from the outset or seek further evidence after the initial grounds for stop and search proved unfounded.
Several of the investigations found that, although an initial search failed to confirm suspicions, officers were slow to end the encounter.
The IOPC has now recommended 11 ways the Met Police can improve its use of stop and search powers.
The watchdog’s recommendations include offering better education for officers about their powers, improving monitoring from above, ensuring racial prejudice is removed and making sure the stop and search encounter is ended swiftly after suspicion is allayed.
IOPC London regional director Sal Naseem said: “The review mirrors concerns expressed to us by communities across London.
“We saw a lack of understanding from officers about why their actions were perceived to be discriminatory.
“We recommended the MPS [Metropolitan Police Service] takes steps to ensure that assumptions, stereotypes and bias, conscious or unconscious, are not informing or affecting their officers’ decision-making on stop and search.”
There were 558,973 stop and searches carried out in the year to March 2020 under Section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (Pace) in England and Wales, according to Home Office figures published on Tuesday.
This is the highest number of stops and searches since 2013/14 (872,518), but still below the peak in 2010/11 (1,179,746), the report said.
It is also an increase of 193,419 (53%) compared to 2018/19, when 365,554 searches were recorded.
Naseem added: “The review highlights the need for the Met to reflect on the impact this kind of decision-making is having.
“There is also a need to better support officers on the front line to do their jobs effectively with the right training and supervision so they aren’t subjected to further complaints and investigation. There is clearly much room for improvement.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--Trump To Women: 'We're Getting Your Husbands Back To Work'

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US President Donald Trump might need a refresher on what century he’s living in.
In yet another appeal to female voters ahead of Election Day, Trump pledged on Tuesday that if re-elected, he’d be sure to get their “husbands back to work.” He made the astonishing remark during a campaign rally in Lansing, Michigan, after falsely bragging that he “did great with women” in the 2016 election.
“And that’s going to happen again. Because women, suburban or otherwise, they want security, they want security, they want safety. They want law and order,” he said.
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The president detoured briefly to attack Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer ― the target of a violent kidnapping plot recently foiled by the FBI ― for her coronavirus lockdown measures, before returning to his pitch to women on Covid-19 economic recovery.
“You know what else? I’m also getting your husbands ― they wanna get back to work. ... We’re getting your husbands back to work. Everybody wants it,” Trump said.
Women accounted for 55% of the 20.5 million people who lost their jobs in April due to coronavirus-related business closures. And women have continued to bear the brunt of the pandemic recession. According to the National Women’s Law Center, of the 1.1 million workers who dropped out of the labour force last month, 865,000 were women, including 324,000 Latinas and 58,000 Black women.
Trump: We’re getting your husbands back to work pic.twitter.com/MOHh0d1Vu7 — Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) October 27, 2020
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Amid falling poll numbers in the suburbs, particularly among white women, Trump has been framing himself as a champion of women in the suburbs, which he claims are under siege. He has repeatedly asserted that he “saved” the suburbs by ending a federal effort to encourage low-income housing there ― rhetoric that critics have labelled a racist dog whistle about keeping people of colour out of those neighbourhoods.
In August, Trump wondered why suburban women would vote for Democrats when Democratic-run cities are “rampant with crime.” (This is not true.) And earlier this month, he resorted to a more direct approach at a Pennsylvania rally, begging suburban women to “please like me” because “I saved your damn neighbourhood.”
As for his claim that he did great with women in 2016, female voters supported Hillary Clinton over Trump by 54% to 42%, according to the Pew Research Center. He won 52% of the vote from white women.
The president’s 1950s-esque remark on Tuesday did not fly with critics.
Do.... "suburban women".... not... work? Because... I live in the suburbs and.... I work. Am I doing it wrong? Was there a memo? https://t.co/Bcec1iXr0s — April (@ReignOfApril) October 27, 2020
America's labor force includes about 80 million women https://t.co/35Z4k3Kq7s — Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) October 27, 2020
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865,000 women left the workforce last month, compared to 216,000 men. https://t.co/PMBBJwPfMW — Gillian Branstetter (@GBBranstetter) October 27, 2020
Don Draper will be pleased to her this, it's boring hanging around the house being waited upon https://t.co/2ABSuspwB6 — David Frum (@davidfrum) October 27, 2020
The longer @realDonaldTrump speaks, the more his true character is revealed which is very good news for Biden https://t.co/o0IWH8YzzC — Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) October 27, 2020
Wait, just cause this year has been so fucked up, have to ask...
What century are we currently living in now? https://t.co/BDUbSH21lo — YS (@NYinLA2121) October 27, 2020
Trump just now: "Your husbands, they want to get back to work. We're getting your husbands back to work.”
Did we hate 2020 so hard we accidentally got thrown back to 1952? — Ida Skibenes ❄ (@ida_skibenes) October 27, 2020
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A century after the 19th Amendment, Trump tells Lansing crowd, “We’re getting your husbands back to work." — Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) October 27, 2020
Guessed there might be some mitigating context to Trump's remark to suburban women. Nope.
"And you know what else? I'm also getting your husbands - they wanna get back to work, right? They wanna get back to work. We're getting your husbands back to work, and everybody wants it." — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) October 27, 2020
The preceding context was Trump saying, before getting distracted with some other stuff, that "I'm getting your kids back to school." So the pitch to women was: 1) I'm getting your kids back to school, 2) I'm getting your husbands back to work. — Daniel Dale (@ddale8) October 27, 2020
Yes little ladies, Trump is getting your husbands back to work so you can go back to sitting around on the couch eating bon bons. https://t.co/MyQfaNX9dw — Mark Schweitzer (@MarkSchweitzer) October 27, 2020
Donald Trump’s antiquated attempt at grasping for suburban women
“ I’m getting your husbands back to work?” This year women overtook men as the majority of the US workforce. https://t.co/u6UcbTD3sn — Samantha Barry (@samanthabarry) October 27, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--Jennifer Lawrence Clarifies Political Beliefs After Saying She Was Previously 'A Little Republican'

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Jennifer Lawrence has clarified her political beliefs, after revealing she was “a little Republican” earlier in her life.
In the lead-up to the US election, the Oscar-winning star recently gave an interview in which she said that having grown up in a Republican-voting family, she initially opted for John McCain when she was first old enough to vote in 2008.
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She went on to say that when Donald Trump became US leader in 2016, it “changed everything” for her.
After her comments were picked up on by multiple news outlets, Jennifer has now put out a statement “clarifying her voting record”.
“I would like to clarify my voting record, which is the subject of many circulating headlines,” she wrote.
“I grew up in a republican family and voted for John McCain in 2008, but through Obama’s presidency, and growing up to realise I was voting against my own rights, I am proud to say I am a Democrat.”
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Jennifer previously supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.
Jennifer Lawrence at Paris Fashion Week last year Stephane Cardinale - Corbis via Getty Images
She recently told the Absolutely Not podcast with Heather McMahan: “It’s extremely hard to talk about politics, you don’t want to, I’m an actor, I want everybody to see my movies.
“I grew up Republican. My first time voting, I voted for John McCain. I was a little Republican.
“I was fortunate to grow up in a Republican house where I could see the fiscal benefits of some of the Republican policies and I could also see the social issues weren’t in line with my views.
“Then for me when Donald Trump got elected that just changed everything.”
The Hunger Games actor added: “This is an impeached president who has broken many laws and has refused to condemn white supremacy, and it feels like there has been a line drawn in the sand.
“I just don’t give a fuck, I guess that is the bottom line, I just don’t think it’s right, it just changes things for me.”
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Jennifer told V Magazine earlier this month of her support for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris: “Voting is the foundation of our democracy and our freedom. And I would consider this upcoming election the most consequential of our lifetime.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--Jared Kushner Ripped For 'Letting His Klan Flag Fly'

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Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s adviser and son-in-law, was called out on social media on Monday for the racist comments he made while standing outside the White House.
During an interview with Fox News, Kushner said Black Lives Matter protesters were just “virtue signalling” after the police killing of George Floyd in May.
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“They’d go on Instagram and cry,” he said.
Then, Kushner suggested that Black people in America ― who are “mostly Democrat” ― have to want to be successful.
“President Trump’s policies are the policies that can help people break out of the problems that they’re complaining about,” he said. “But he can’t want them to be successful more than that they want to be successful.”
That, critics noted, was a nod to racist stereotypes. And Twitter users weren’t having it:
Jared Kushner is the face of white privilege and nepotism. He doesn't want to change our racist, broken system because he benefits from it.
He’s the last person that should be lecturing the Black community on the value of “hard work.” https://t.co/KyuTgPZv9a — Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) October 26, 2020
I see Jared Kushner is letting his Klan flag fly today. Institutional power hinders the Black community not will power. We can't just will our way into being born to a billionaire like you were Jared. Everything you got is from nepotism not from merit and you still ain't shit! https://t.co/9ImopMGJcT pic.twitter.com/xs8o7gPdbR — BlackWomenViews Media (@blackwomenviews) October 26, 2020
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Oh. Trust fund baby slumlord Kushner who has enriched himself in the WH takes the silver spoon out of his mouth long enough to insert his foot with a racist trope about Black people and success. 🙄 https://t.co/rMN01O9WQm — Rep. Gwen Moore (@RepGwenMoore) October 26, 2020
Dear #JaredKushner ,
You say “Blacks don’t want to be successful?” My enslaved grandfather fought for his country in the Civil War, led a strike for fair wages in 1876, & died a success—in poverty. Your ancestors left you wealth, mine left us a nation. pic.twitter.com/cyE4NaIgmi — 𝐑𝐞𝐯. 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 (@CornellWBrooks) October 26, 2020
I don’t wanna hear any of y’all tell me that Jared Kushner can’t be a racist because he’s Jewish.
He’s a white supremacist. Case closed. — Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) October 26, 2020
JARED KUSHNER WAS BORN INTO A RICH FAMILY WHO GAVE HIM EVERYTHING HE COULD POSSIBLY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND STILL... STILL HIS DADDY HAD TO BRIBE JARED'S WAY INTO HARVARD!
He is not a success. He is a lucky sperm. https://t.co/n57OIktFft — W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) October 26, 2020
Jarred, you said the quiet part out loud. https://t.co/gIpbSIVAKV — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) October 26, 2020
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If it weren't for nepotism, @jaredkushner would be Jared, the creepy north Jersey accountant with a weird voice who isn't terribly good at math, but sure, tell me again about how to be successful . https://t.co/uf3afDALCV — Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) October 26, 2020
I really hate Jared Kushner is even a thing.
We are forced to pay attention to what he says because he exerts influence in spaces that, like most of his colleagues, he is completely unqualified to occupy.
But “Black folks don’t want success” is a common narrative. So... — brittany packnett cunningham. (@MsPackyetti) October 26, 2020
Jared Kushner wants to distract white voters with images of “complaining” and “lazy” Black people so they won’t vote to make billionaires like the Kushners pay their fair share in taxes.
Our country will be truly great only when we put an end to their divide-and-conquer tactics. https://t.co/GPRm2ioC2E — Jamaal Bowman (@JamaalBowmanNY) October 26, 2020
Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner was born into wealth and got a job in Trump’s White House with no qualifications and no security clearance.
Yet he has the audacity to lecture Black people that we just complain and don’t want to be successful.
This racist family must go! https://t.co/6yVILpR8L4 — Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) October 26, 2020
"Ah that classic racist trope. Black people have to try harder, says the man who has his job in the White House only because he married the president's daughter."
My bit on tonight's @MehdiHasanShow, deconstructing Jared Kushner's car crash Fox interview:pic.twitter.com/Er806uhobf — Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) October 27, 2020
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Ah yes, Trump's 39 year-old ghoulish son-in-law on TV spouting casual racism & the "bootstrap" myth 8 days before the election.
"He can’t want them to be successful more than they want to be successful.” - Jared Kushner on Trump and the Black community pic.twitter.com/UAKHJX2pWH — Padma "Did You Vote Yet?" Lakshmi (@PadmaLakshmi) October 26, 2020
Damn you, Jared Kushner. I had planned to devote my next column to the new Bruce Springsteen album. A nice, peaceful change of pace. Instead, now I've got to spend it tearing you a brand new orifice.https://t.co/QS99B16jdE — Leonard Pitts, Jr. (@LeonardPittsJr1) October 26, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--Boris Johnson Urged To Impose Stricter Lockdown After Worst Death Toll Since May

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Calls for Boris Johnson to take “drastic” action and impose stricter coronavirus restrictions are increasing after the UK recorded its highest daily Covid-19 death toll since May.
It comes as a new projection by the government’s own scientists shows the second wave of coronavirus will be more deadly than the first.
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The projection – shared by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) and reported in The Telegraph – suggests the death toll could remain high throughout the winter, peaking at a lower level than in spring but then remaining level for weeks – or even months.
“Their ad hoc tier-by-tier approach is wholeheartedly inadequate.” - Dr Zubaida Haque, Independent Sage member
The paper said the internal analysis has led to “intense” lobbying from experts including chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Valance for the prime minister to take more “drastic” action.
“It’s going to be worse this time, more deaths,” one source told the paper.
“That is the projection that has been put in front of the prime minister, and he is now being put under a lot of pressure to lockdown again.”
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Independent Sage member Dr Zubaida Haque echoed the government’s own advisers, adding efforts to contain the spread of the virus were “wholeheartedly failing”.
“They are not managing to contain the virus because they are not taking a cross-national circuit breaker approach as Sage suggested in September and Independent Sage also suggested,” she said.
“Every scientific advisory group has said to the government you need to have a circuit breaker because their ad hoc tier-by-tier approach is wholeheartedly inadequate. Covid cases are increasing everywhere across the country, not just in the north-west [of England] but also in the south-west.
She added: “What is appalling is there has been no sign of a plan to suppress this virus.”
Sage member and former chief scientific adviser Sir Mark Walport told BBC Radio 4′s Today programme on Wednesday it was “certainly not unrealistic” to think of 25,000 people being in hospital with Covid-19 by the end of November.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: “France, which has a very similar population to us, currently has about 16,000 people in hospital, it’s got 2,500 in intensive care beds compared with 852 here, and roughly half the ICU beds in France are occupied; we’re seeing similar things in Spain.
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“And these are in spite of these countries taking strong measures as well.
“So, the answer is that with our current measures, which are similar but with variations in different parts of Europe, there’s still evidence that it’s not – there isn’t as much social distancing as there were when we clamped down on the first wave and so we know that the risk is significant that cases will continue to grow.”
A government spokesperson said ministers were receiving advice from a “wide range of scientific and medical experts”.
On Tuesday, the UK’s daily coronavirus death toll topped 350 for the first time since May.
The deaths of 367 people who had tested positive for Covid-19 recorded on Tuesday brings the UK’s total death toll to 45,365. Meanwhile, 22,885 new coronavirus cases were recorded.
On Monday, it was revealed that the north west town of Warrington would enter tier 3, the highest level of coronavirus lockdown restrictions, in an effort to get the virus under control.
It will be joined on the “very high” alert level by Nottingham, Broxtowe, Gelding and Rushcliffe on Thursday.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--Man Makes Horrific Discovery After Plummeting Into New York Sinkhole

“The rats down there were ridiculous, they were so big,” White said her son told her.
Emergency crews took about a half-hour to rescue him and Shoulders was hospitalized, NBC reported.
“He’s alive.” Cindy White said. “Thank God.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--Marvel-ous Clip Of Joe Biden Set To Captain America Speech Urges Voters To Assemble

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We’re in the Endgame now.
With a week to go before the US presidential election, a super-powered video calling on people to vote is going viral thanks to the help of director Kevin Smith and some of the biggest Marvel personalities.
“One Week from Today: ASSEMBLE! Voting is the ENDGAME!” Smith tweeted along with the video on Tuesday.
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In the video, a Captain America speech from Avengers: Endgame plays over footage of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, calling the upcoming election the “fight of our lives.”
One Week from Today: ASSEMBLE! Voting is the ENDGAME! (Help me give credit to whoever made this! I got it from a follower who also doesn’t know. Anybody have any idea where this Marvel-ous piece of editing came from?) #VOTE pic.twitter.com/5R6pVk09kg — KevinSmith (@ThatKevinSmith) October 27, 2020
The Whatever It Takes speech in Endgame comes right before the Avengers’ journey into the past to try to retrieve the Infinity Stones and reverse Thanos’ deadly finger snap.
Given that Biden and Harris aren’t trying to time travel — and that their opponent isn’t a giant purple monster from space (though Trump’s campaign may beg to differ) — the comparison doesn’t entirely match up. However, that doesn’t mean people are getting any less hyped.
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Actor Mark Ruffalo, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, and Endgame directors the Russo brothers have already commented on the video (with Cap himself, Chris Evans, retweeting the Russos), helping it shoot up in views.
Wow!!! This is amazing!! spread it fast. https://t.co/UB5o2rbGJG — Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) October 27, 2020
The Avengers cast, including Evans, Ruffalo, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Paul Rudd and Zoe Saldana also recently assembled for a fundraiser for Biden and Harris, answering fan questions and dealing with an even more menacing foe than Thanos: spotty Wifi.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--Detention Rate Under The Mental Health Act Is Four Times Higher For Black People In England

PeopleImages via Getty Images
The detention rate under the Mental Health Act is four times higher for Black people in England than white people, new figures have revealed.
Data published by the NHS on Tuesday showed that in 2019/20, there was the equivalent of 321.7 detentions per 100,000 Black people under the Act.
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For white people, this figure was just 73.4 per 100,000.
Geoff Heyes, head of health policy at the mental health charity Mind, condemned the disparity as “simply unacceptable”.
“People tell us being sectioned under the Act is often terrifying and traumatic,” he said.
“When you are at your most vulnerable your freedom is taken away and you lose control over your life. Rather than being treated with care and compassion, people – especially Black people – who are seriously unwell are often stereotyped as dangerous, forcibly medicated and locked up.”
The statistics published on Tuesday reveal there has been little change to the disparity year-on-year.
In 2018/19, there were 306.8 detentions per 100,000 for Black people and 72.9 per 100,000 for white people.
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The Rethink Mental Illness charity – along with the Royal College of Psychiatrists – has warned that the government must act on the recommendations it was given about the Mental Health Act almost two years ago “as a matter of urgency”.
In 2018, an independent review said that community care should be improved as a way of reducing the number of people who need to be detained.
It also called for patients to be allowed to chose a family member of friend to help make decisions about their care.
But campaigners and charities say they are still waiting on the government to respond to the review.
“The Independent Review of the Mental Health Act, published back in 2018, acknowledged the role that bias and racism play within the system,” said Will Johnstone, policy manager at Rethink Mental Illness.
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“The review proposed important changes to deliver greater equality and accountability for ethnic minority communities in detention settings, and while there’s been some encouraging progress we are still waiting for the government to respond to that review.”
But Dr Adrian James, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said that simply changing the legislation is not enough.
“We must see an end to people being detained because they can’t get the right help before they’re in crisis,” he said.
“That means tackling broader inequalities, exclusion and stigma. We must develop culturally sensitive services designed around the needs of communities so that everyone is able to access them.”
His comments come on the same day that a review by Baroness Doreen Lawrence into the Covid-19 outbreak concluded that BAME communities had been disproportionately affected by the pandemic as a result of “decades of structural injustice, inequality and discrimination”.
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Overall, the data published on Tuesday revealed that there were 50,893 new detentions under the Mental Health Act in 2019/20 – though incomplete data means the real figure is likely to be higher.
Detention rates were slightly higher for men (91.8 per 100,000) than for women (84.4 per 100,000), while detention rates were also greater among younger people.
There were 129.8 detentions per 100,000 of the population for people aged 18 to 34, compared to 92.5 per 100,000 for those aged 50 to 64 and 95.0 per 100,000 for the over 65 age group.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We know people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds are disproportionately detained under the Mental Health Act, which is why we are taking steps to reduce these figures as part of our reform of the Act – ensuring everyone is treated with dignity and respect, no matter their background.
“As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, we’re investing £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24 to transform mental health care and remain committed to publishing a White Paper which will set out the government’s response to Sir Simon Wessely’s Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983 and pave the way for reform of the Act at the earliest opportunity.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--Sacha Baron Cohen Shares Video Of Chaotic Escape From 'Very Angry' Washington Gun Rally Crowd

“The organisers and a lot of people in the crowd got very angry,” Baron Cohen said. “They tried to storm the stage. Luckily for me, I had hired the security. So it took them a while to actually storm the stage.”
The video shows Baron Cohen running from the stage into his escape vehicle ― a private ambulance ― and holding the door shut to prevent people from entering as they made a rushed departure.
“This was the first movie where I’ve had to wear a bulletproof vest,” Baron Cohen said.
“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” was released on Amazon Prime Video last week.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--White House Declares Pandemic Over As It Cites Renowned Scientist Ivanka Trump

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The Trump administration triumphantly declared victory over the coronavirus pandemic on Tuesday, one week before the 2020 election and with Covid-19 cases surging across the country.
The lie came in a news release on a new 62-page report from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy listing what it claims are the scientific and technological accomplishments during President Donald Trump’s first term. The list includes, “ENDING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.”
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“From the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the administration has taken decisive actions to engage scientists and health professionals in academia, industry, and government to understand, treat, and defeat the disease,” the release states.
The pandemic is far from over. It is raging from coast to coast, thanks in no small part to the Trump administration’s mishandled response. A recent report from Columbia University estimates that the “abject failures” of government agencies under Trump resulted in between 130,000 and 210,000 avoidable deaths attributable to Covid-19.
As of Tuesday, the disease’s US fatality toll topped 226,000 and the nation is averaging more than 70,000 new cases per day.
From the beginning of the outbreak, Trump has been at war not with Covid-19, but rather Covid-19 science and data. He has repeatedly downplayed the health threat, blamed China and the World Health Organization for the pandemic, attacked the nation’s top infectious disease expert and mocked his election opponent, Democrat Joe Biden, for vowing to listen to scientists as president.
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At the final presidential debate last week, he falsely claimed that America is “rounding the turn” and “learning to live with” the coronavirus pandemic ― falsehoods that he has been repeating on the campaign trail.
Among other White House officials, Tuesday’s release includes a quote from Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter and adviser who has zero training or background as a scientific expert.
“Over the past four years, President Trump’s policies and investments in science and technology ensure America stands ready to solve today’s most pressing challenges and that our workforce is prepared for tomorrow’s innovations,” Ivanka Trump said. “For years to come, these achievements will guarantee the United States remains the world’s leader in research, discovery and the advancement of industries that will shape our future.”
White House OSTP releases "Science and Technology Accomplishments from First Term", includes "ENDING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC" as accomplishment.
(guess they dunno what accomplish means?)
https://t.co/kURaSH3AgI
includes statement from noted STEM expert Ivanka Trump pic.twitter.com/tralEAmKIP — Dan Vergano (@dvergano) October 27, 2020
Tuesday’s self-congratulatory release underscores that the administration has simultaneously surrendered to the pandemic while trying desperately to steer public attention away from its failure to control the spread. During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows declared that the US is “not going to control” the pandemic because it’s “contagious.”
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Trump has pushed wild, unfounded conspiracy theories that the media is trying to sow fear ahead of the election and that health officials are exaggerating Covid-19 deaths because “doctors get more money and hospitals get more money.”
“The Fake News is talking about CASES, CASES, CASES,” Trump posted to Twitter on Saturday. “Media is doing everything possible to create fear prior to November 3rd.”
The White House release highlights dozens of actions across federal scientific agencies over the last four years, but notably makes no mention of the climate change and extinction crises that Trump and his team have largely ignored as they’ve led an aggressive industry-first agenda. Still, the administration boasted that its policies have given Americans a deeper understanding of our planet.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, the federal government has taken action to understand and protect our environment to ensure that the American people will have clean air, clean water, and a resilient environment for generations to come,” the release states.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--Chrissy Teigen Shares Heartbreaking Essay On Losing Baby: ‘Utter And Complete Sadness’

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Chrissy Teigen has opened up about losing her baby and explained why she wanted to share pictures from her devastating time in hospital.
The TV personality and cookbook author announced she and husband John Legend had lost their son, a boy named Jack, late last month.
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Chrissy was praised for sharing heart-rending photographs from the hospital, including one showing her and her husband saying goodbye to the baby
Chrissy Teigen SIPA USA/PA Images
In a candid new blog post, Chrissy said Jack was delivered at 20 weeks and addressed critics who questioned why she took photographs at such a painful moment.
She wrote: “I had asked my mom and John to take pictures, no matter how uncomfortable it was. I explained to a very hesitant John that I needed them, and that I did NOT want to have to ever ask. That he just had to do it. He hated it. I could tell. It didn’t make sense to him at the time.”
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Chrissy, who is also mother to four-year-old daughter Luna and two-year-old son Miles, added: “But I knew I needed to know of this moment forever, the same way I needed to remember us kissing at the end of the aisle, the same way I needed to remember our tears of joy after Luna and Miles. And I absolutely knew I needed to share this story.”
And directly addressing critics of the pictures, she wrote: “I cannot express how little I care that you hate the photos. How little I care that it’s something you wouldn’t have done.
“I lived it, I chose to do it, and more than anything, these photos aren’t for anyone but the people who have lived this or are curious enough to wonder what something like this is like. These photos are only for the people who need them. The thoughts of others do not matter to me.”
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The US star had suffered heavy bleeding during her pregnancy and had been put on bed rest by doctors.
She said she spent a “couple nights” at the hospital when doctors told her it was time to say goodbye to Jack, warning she may not survive the pregnancy if it continued.
Describing the moment it was “time to let go,” she said: “I cried a little at first, then went into full blown convulsions of snot and tears, my breath not able to catch up with my own incredibly deep sadness. Even as I write this now, I can feel the pain all over again. Oxygen was placed over my nose and mouth, and that was the first picture you saw. Utter and complete sadness.”
Recalling the moments following Jack’s delivery, Chrissy wrote: “I asked the nurses to show me his hands and feet and I kissed them over and over and over again. I have no idea when I stopped. It could have been 10 minutes or an hour.
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“I dunno how long he had been waiting to be delivered for. That will probably always haunt me. Just writing it makes my nose and eyes tingle with tears. All I know now is his ashes are in a small box, waiting to be put into the soil of a tree in our new home, the one we got with his room in mind.”
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend David Crotty via Getty Images
Chrissy, who tied the knot with multi-award-winning singer John in 2013, thanked fans for their outpouring of support, saying the “moments of kindness have been nothing short of beautiful”.
She also asked others to share their stories of similar experiences and called for people to “be kind to those pouring their hearts out”.
“I went to a store where the checkout lady quietly added flowers to my cart,” she said. “Sometimes people will approach me with a note. The worst part is knowing there are so many women that won’t get these quiet moments of joy from strangers. I beg you to please share your stories and to please be kind to those pouring their hearts out. Be kind in general, as some won’t pour them out at all.”
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Finishing the blog post, Chrissy explained why she shared it with fans and said: “I wrote this because I knew for me I needed to say something before I could move on from this and return back to life, so I truly thank you for allowing me to do so. Jack will always be loved, explained to our kids as existing in the wind and trees and the butterflies they see. Thank you so much to every single person who has had us in their thoughts or gone as far as to send us your love and stories. We are so incredibly lucky.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--25 Of The Funniest Tweets About Married Life

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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--3 Simple Ways To Have An Eco Christmas, Even In A Covid Year

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Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, but it’s also the most wasteful. From irresponsibly discarded Christmas trees to all those unwanted presents – bought, given, then promptly discarded. And the food.
According to a 2017 study, Brits throw away 54 million platefuls of leftovers, bin some 108 million rolls of wrapping paper, and fill almost 100 million black bags with packaging from toys and gifts over Christmas. But we can change that.
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For many, being eco-friendly has taken a backseat during the pandemic, as our streets, beaches and waterways have been hit by a tidal wave of Covid-related waste, including disposable face masks, plastic gloves, and sanitiser bottles.
Having a green Christmas might be the last thing on our minds, especially when we’re still figuring out how to pick and choose our Christmas bubbles. However, there are ways we can celebrate the season and reduce our environmental footprint without scaling back on our favourite traditions.
From shopping smartly to gifting mindfully and thinking about traceability, here’s how we can all do our bit.
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Shop smarter, shop locally
Despite a rise in single-use plastics as a result of the pandemic, many of us have kept our focus on living more sustainably – this includes how we shop for food, says Tim Hunt, co-editor and director of Ethical Consumer magazine.
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“The origin of food is sadly something yet to fully trickle into people’s consciousness, but it’s shifting,” he explains. “We’ve seen people move towards local independent greengrocers, buying direct from farmers and opting for veg box schemes. People were already thinking about those sorts of things, but Covid-19 tipped them over the edge, and especially with Brexit around the corner, that’s going to be something increasingly on the agenda for next year.”
There’s almost nothing sorrier than scrambling around a crowded supermarket, fending off the rest of your neighbourhood for that last coveted turkey. Ditch the stress of the last-minute supermarket dash. You’ll not only save yourself time and energy, but also avoid mass-produced food that’s been sitting around in distribution centres before reaching your plate. Not what you want for your festive feast, aka the best-meal-of-the-year, right?
And if you do visit a supermarket, consider some of the vegan and veggie options. The likes of Sainsbury’s, Marks and Spencer, and Iceland are all putting out their biggest and tastiest plant-based festive ranges yet.
Meanwhile, Waitrose and John Lewis have followed through on their 2019 pledge to ditch glitter from single-use Christmas products. “All own-brand cards, crackers, wrapping paper, gift bags are now 100% glitter-free,” a spokesperson says. “Glitter is made up of tiny pieces of plastic, and when washed off, they can end up in water where they never break down.”
Morrisons has also pledged that it will be going glitter-free, removing 50 tonnes of plastic from its shelves ahead of the festive season. Tesco says it will scrap more than 20 million pieces of single-use plastic from its Christmas range – including crackers, lights, cards, and the packaging for puddings.
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LOUISE BEAUMONT via Getty Images
Gift less, give better
Giving less means not contributing to the vicious cycle of cheap and disposable items destined for landfill. Say no to pointless presents and don’t bundle up on gifts either. Tempting as it may be to add on a few little extras here and there, it makes for a better experience to give one, well-thought-out present.
”Gifts can be more sustainable if they’ve been used already, like something from your local vintage store or Christmas market full of handmade gifts,” says Honor Cowen, retail sector lead at global sustainability consultancy, Anthesis. “Take time to think about your options. Would your relative prefer a gift or an experience?”
While we’ve had it drilled into us that Christmas gifts must sit under the tree for Christmas cheer, tickets or experiences can be just as meaningful, if not more.
“There’s this idea of a ‘non-physical presence’ and we’re seeing an uptick in people opting for experience gifts such as restaurant vouchers, pre-booked days out or massage vouchers,” Hunt agrees. “It’s less about having an actual item these days and more about being in the moment and being together.”
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Rent, reuse, or recycle
Tempting as it is to go out and buy all-new shiny things, sometimes we have everything we already need to decorate our house with sparkle and delight.
Almost anything can be given a new lease of life or lick of paint – and if you’ve got kids, you can make it a family activity to wile away those lockdown hours.
Be sure to store stuff to be used again and again for years to come. Except perhaps for the tree. “A controversial topic, but a real tree has a smaller carbon footprint than a plastic one,” Cowen says. “Crucially, it’s bio-degradable.”
There are plenty of options, whether you’re renting a tree, clinging on to that old plastic one for years, or opting for a freshly cut spruce – just check the seller. And when you’re done with a real tree, donate to your local council to recycle or turn into compost or wood chip mulch, rather than dumping it out in the street.
Then there’s wrapping and cards, which tend to be most wasteful element, as they’re torn off or read once, then headed straight for the bin. “Wrap your gifts in left over newspaper or re-use paper and boxes from the rest of the year,” Cowen advises. “Shoeboxes can always be decorated. A re-used ribbon will go a long way in the presentation of your presents! Plus, cards – who appreciates them? Who’d rather have a personal text with a goofy photo or an email?”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--15 Foodie Gift Ideas That’ll Make You Seriously Hungry

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If you’re looking for foodie gift inspiration ahead of the festive season, look no further. We’ve got chocolate stocking fillers, African spices, artisan cheeseboards from local producers, affordable wine hampers, boxes with all the trimmings, and even a brownie box subscription service. Yes, you heard that right.
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Christmas is so close we can almost taste it. And remember: you can’t go wrong with giving the gift of something delicious this year.
Niederegger Niederegger Carousel Advent Calendar
Heartbroken about not being able to visit the German Christmas markets this year? Don’t worry, bring a slice of Lübeck home and count down to the big day in style. Niederegger marzipan is the perfect festive delicacy and for 2020, there’s an impressive carousel advent calendar packed with marzipan, truffles, and pralines.
Joseph Cruz Babingka
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Ditch those sickly sweet mince pies and change things up this year. Try London-based Filipino supper club The Adobros’ Bibingka instead. It’s a coconut milk and rice batter cake baked in banana leaves that’s a popular snack during the yuletide period in the Philippines. Think of them as a muffin crossed with a crumpet, sweet, fluffy, and chewy – perfect to enjoy with salted butter, ice cream, or hot coffee butter sauce.
Shwen Shwen Shwen Shwen Salone Spark Hot Chilli Sauce
Crank up the heat and discover a taste of Sierra Leonean flavours. Give the gift of fire and flavour with a jar of hot chilli sauce made from scotch bonnet chillies, garlic, ginger, onions and yellow bell peppers. It’s a versatile chilli sauce that will enhance hot and cold dishes, ideal for meats, fish and salads – or whatever your heart’s desire. Not for the faint-hearted.
Matt Austin Pipers Farm Christmas Trimmings Box
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without all the trimmings, so let someone else do the hard work in providing the best sides you could possibly ask for. The box includes pigs in blankets, unsmoked streaky bacon, crispy roast potatoes, sticky sage and onion savoury stuffing, sweet cranberry sauce, and rich gravy – absolute mainstays that need to adorn any Christmas table. Oh, and did we mention it’s all sustainably farmed sustainably and locally sourced in Devon?
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Pezu Sambal Shiok Laksa Paste
What do you do with the leftover turkey when Boxing Day rolls around? Sod the sarnie. Get creative and turn it into a comforting bowl of laksa noodles. “The king of noodle soups,” says chef-owner, Mandy Yin who runs Malaysian Laska bar Sambal Shiok. She’s created an umami-packed pot paste filled with hot spicy fragrant prawn flavours. It’s essentially a hug in a bowl, which is perfect for a cold winter’s day. Mix the whole jar of laksa paste with 500ml of water and whole can of coconut milk, bring to boil, add tofu puffs or leftover meat, add noodles and some greens or beansprouts if you wish. Job done.
Shop Cuvée Shop Cuvée Natty Christmas Hamper
The guys at Shop Cuvée have you covered this Crimbo with their ‘Natty Christmas Hamper’. Packed with goodies including natural fizz, homemade ‘actually nice and not sickly sweet Christmas market headache juice’ (their words not mine) mulled wine, after dinner pre-made Negroni cocktail, a slab of Comté cheese, savoury snacks, salami, hot sauce and more. Delivered in a fluro orange reusable crate.
Halen Môn Halen Môn Campfire Salted Caramel
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Salted caramel? Been there done that. The Welsh salt experts Halen Môn have managed to capture the essence of a smoky campfire and infused it with rich and smooth salted caramel giving you maximum nostalgia. Play around with this with different sweet desserts or the ideal gift for fellow bakers to use in their bakes. Serve with Christmas pudding, ice cream, brownies, cheesecake, or even toasted marshmallows for the big kid in you.
Mei Mei Mei Mei Nasi Lemak Kit
Gift a restaurant-quality meal at home to your loved ones. After all, food is the way to everyone’s heart. You can recreate one of Singaporean Kopitiam Mei Mei’s bestselling dishes at home. Their Nasi Lemak meal kit is a delectable coconut rice dish with Ikan bilis (fried salted anchovies), roasted peanuts, cucumber and sambal tumis belachan (chilli with chrimp). Think of it as the Malaysian equivalent of Christmas dinner with all the trimmings.
Tony's Chocolonely Tony's Chocolonely
Tony’s Chocolonely bars are an ideal stocking filler for those looking to celebrate Christmas with a conscience. Their mission is to make all chocolate 100% slave-free – their two new bars come in bright festive wrappers and are made with Belgian Fairtrade chocolate. Both bars come in a decorative Christmas tree shape to pop out, so the lucky recipient can also hang it as a decoration (that is, if you haven’t eaten it all.)
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Sara Held Zoe's Ghana Kitchen Cookbook and Spice Bundle
Pass on a little culinary magic with Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen cookbook, which comes with a set of signature house blend suya, jollof and kelewele spices. And who knows? if you’re lucky, you might even get a home-cooked meal in return from a grateful recipient. The book’s bursting full of big Ghanian flavours and tonnes of mouthwatering recipes to try out. A must-have for any foodie.
Robert Billington Cake or Death Brownies
There’s no greater gift than giving the gift of happy tastebuds. Deliver some of the UK’s most loved brownies nationwide and hassle-free through your letterbox. Each box is beautifully packaged in hot pink leopard print (no need for gift-wrapping, score!) and even more brownie points for being able to add a personal note. The fudgey, indulgent brownies come in a variety of flavours and they also happen to be vegan (and most varieties are gluten-free) and can be part of a subscription, too.
Matt Austin Quicke's Farmstead Cheese Board
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--Why Children Who Go Hungry Will Never Be Full Again

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It’s a horrendous reality that millions of children are going hungry in the UK.
These children are having to eat less and make food last longer, because their families don’t have enough money to buy more. The issue isn’t just impacting children – parents, or older siblings, will often go without food in order to cushion the youngest members, giving them what little they have to eat.
The cracks were already showing before the pandemic, following years of austerity, but Covid-19 has thrown more families into destitution. People are losing their jobs, homes – it’s impacting every aspect of their lives.
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“This is an important and growing problem,” says Dr Ingrid Wolfe, a children’s doctor and director of the Institute for Women and Children’s Health.
“The pandemic has worsened things for families who were already vulnerable. Parents have lost jobs, money is even tighter. Children are increasingly going without food, eating cheap unhealthy food, and skipping meals.”
MICHAEL REGAN via Getty Images Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford has been campaigning for free meals to be provided to children over the school holidays.
The Food Foundation reported that more than 200,000 children had to skip meals because their families couldn’t access sufficient food during lockdown.
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Footballer Marcus Rashford, 22, has worked hard campaigning to expand the free school meals programme over the school holidays. A petition he launched to end food poverty has so far garnered over 940,000 signatures (and counting).
Of course, some argue that we shouldn’t have to rely on the kindness of strangers to feed children. Rather, we need support systems put in place by the government that bring people out of poverty.
Finding a solution to an issue that affects so many – and will affect future generations too – has never been more important.
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The impact of hunger on children
‘Food insecurity’ is where someone doesn’t have adequate physical, social or economic access to food for an active and healthy life.
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Tiredness and lethargy are some of the immediate effects of this. A paper published in the journal Sustainability suggests food insecure children also have a higher prevalence of dental decay, anaemia and asthma. They’re prone to more frequent headaches and stomach aches; and are more likely to suffer from chronic illnesses.
Some studies suggest hungry children are more susceptible to weight gain due to having limited access to healthy foods. Being overweight or obese then comes with its own list of health problems later on in life – issues like cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and cancer.
“Food poverty affects children in complex ways,” says Dr Wolfe, who is also co-chair of the British Association for Child and Adolescent Health.
“There can be co-existence of nutritional deficiencies and obesity. This is known as the double burden of malnutrition. In the UK, a high-income country, food insecurity caused by poverty means families with low incomes tend to eat inexpensive food that is high in energy – fat, sugar, and salt.
“Excessive intake leads to overweight and obesity and to diet-related diseases such as diabetes, heart problems, joint problems and more.”
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“There can be co-existence of nutritional deficiencies and obesity.” - Dr Wolfe
Such diets tend to be low in essential micronutrients, she adds, such as iron, calcium, folate, vitamin B6, vitamin C and D – all of which are crucial for growth and good health.
With physical and mental health being intrinsically linked, it’s no surprise, then, there is also a huge mental burden. Food insecurity has been associated with increased anxiety, depression, and other forms of psychiatric distress.
Lack of food, calories and inadequate nutrients can affect brain development of young children and impede older children’s ability to concentrate and learn – studies have found hungry children can end up falling behind academically.
There are social implications, too. Food insecurity in childhood has been linked to problems such as a decline in social skills, irritability, aggression, and oppositional behaviours.
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A cycle of poverty
For young girls who grow up to have families of their own, studies have also found long-lasting impacts of food insecurity on their children’s health, too. If the issue isn’t tackled, it becomes a vicious cycle.
Research from the University of Southampton shows that environmental factors can affect the development of the next generation even before conception, and can continue throughout pregnancy and into early childhood.
“What is really serious is when young women from puberty onwards are poorly nourished, this sets up the way they then become pregnant and how their foetus grows,” says Professor Barrie Margetts, emeritus professor in public health nutrition at the University of Southampton.
″[It] makes that foetus far more susceptible to adverse health outcomes in their own life – almost irrespective of what they do.”
The effects can be seen in ultrasound scans, he says. The foetuses have shorter bone length and smaller head circumference – “they’re not just smaller, they’re actually functionally not growing to their optimal.”
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“The studies clearly show if a mother was poorly nourished, or a young woman was poorly nourished before she became pregnant, this carries on through to lead to poor outcomes for her infant, which then leads to higher risk of things like diabetes and heart disease in later life. The consequences are profound.”
“There is a golden window for child development where the most rapid growth in skills and abilities happens, up to around a year,” adds Dr Wolfe. After that, the window gradually closes. Learning becomes harder and skills are acquired more slowly.
“So, to ensure good brain development it’s vital that pregnant women and young children have good nutrition and adequate food,” she says.
What’s the solution?
Rashford’s call for free meals has been met with government push-back. Boris Johnson said the “best way of tackling holiday hunger” is to increase the funds available for Universal Credit and give local councils extra money.
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But experts believe more can – and should – be done. The Food Foundation is part of a Child Food Poverty Task Force and, along with 20 charities and key names in the food industry, is calling on the government to urgently allocate sufficient budget for three National Food Strategy recommendations.
In addition to calling for free school meals to be extended to vulnerable kids in the school holidays, it’s asking that eligibility for free school meals is expanded to include every child (up to 16 years old) from a household where the parent or guardian is in receipt of Universal Credit or equivalent benefits.
The third recommendation is for an increase to the value of Healthy Start vouchers and also an expansion of the scheme to every pregnant woman and to all households with children under four, where a parent or guardian is in receipt of Universal Credit or equivalent benefits.
Prof Margetts, who is also a Labour councillor for Southampton City Council, would like to see the UK adopt a more “Swedish or French model where every child gets a really good nutritious lunch”. Under this plan, he’d want to see the school day modified so there’s enough time to ensure every child has a hearty lunch. “That means if they don’t eat so well at home, we know they’re getting pretty much everything they need to be healthy and well,” he explains.
John Sibley / Reuters Volunteers at the North Enfield Foodbank Charity.
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It’s not the responsibility of schools to do this – rather, the responsibility of society to ensure it happens, he adds. When children aren’t at school, there “needs to be government-led initiatives to ensure children on school meals or who are vulnerable are catered for in a systematic, organised way and that it’s not dependent on charity and handouts and restaurants having to step up”.
Dr Wolfe wants to see social safety nets including cash and food transfers, subsidies and vouchers (linked to healthy food retailers); an improved food environment to promote healthy food choices; and a focus on making the right food choices affordable and easy. School food programmes should also comprise healthy food, freely available, year round, she adds.
Perhaps the most important factor is tackling the issue of poverty directly by boosting family income. “This is effective at improving children’s outcomes including cognitive development and school achievement. It’s an impressively effective thing to do. If it were a pill, it would be called a miracle cure,” she says.
JW LTD via Getty Images
It’s something Professor Tarasuk wants to see change. In her view, the only solution to tackling food insecurity is income.
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“In Canada we’ve got several studies that show if we improve benefits for families with children, we can see decreases in the severity of food insecurity amongst those families – it’s unbelievable how quickly the change happens,” she says.
The increase in food insecurity during Covid is further evidence this is an income problem, she adds. “This problem has spikes because of job loss, cuts to people’s hours and the inability to compensate for that because the people who are most vulnerable have no savings, they were barely managing before and they have no family support,” she says.
“In some ways the Covid story, for me, is just more evidence of the fact that this thing is rooted in household economics.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--Racism Is A Public Health Crisis. As A Doctor, I've Seen It For Myself

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Amid the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement in the UK and the disproportionate mortality rate amongst BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) people during the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s never been more important to talk about what racism looks like in Britain.
Whether it’s the disproportionate impact of austerity measures on the income of Black British households, the wrongful detention and deportation of members of the Windrush generation, or the fact that Black men are more likely to be stopped and searched, arrested, prosecuted and held in high security conditions once convicted when compared to white men, it is undeniable that stark racial disparities exist across systems within the UK.
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Unfortunately, as a healthcare professional, I’ve come to understand the healthcare system is no exception.
I have seen first-hand how racial and ethnic minority groups suffer from some of the poorest health outcomes in the UK. Compared to their white counterparts, Black people are over-represented in mental health institutions and are over four times more likely to be sectioned due to psychiatric illness. Black women are five times more likely to die post-birth, and infant mortality is highest amongst BAME groups. Black and south Asian subpopulations have also been found to be at least two times more likely to die of Covid-19.
It is well-known that social factors, like poverty, drive poor health outcomes amongst British minorities. However, the course of one’s health is also often dictated by race itself. I have witnessed colleagues work longer and harder to develop research and clinical care so that the health needs of racial minorities are addressed, but rather naively many of us have ignored the elephant in the room – the impact of racism on health outcomes.
“I can recall numerous Black patients with sickle cell disease who felt their complaints of pain were disregarded.”
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In the UK, BAME groups persistently experience the lowest levels of satisfaction when engaging with healthcare. It is undeniable that implicit racial biases that exist within society are just as present in the healthcare setting.
These biases have the potential to worsen health inequalities by polluting our interactions with patients of colour.
This has never been more evident to me than when patients complain of subjective symptoms like pain. I can recall numerous cases of Black patients with sickle cell disease who felt their complaints of pain were disregarded, despite it being a typical characteristic of their condition.
I remember a particularly distressing example – a twenty-something man who came to our unit for pain management.
As a young, Black man actively seeking moderate pain relief, on a Saturday night sporting 90s-inspired street fashion in the inner city, my nursing colleague and I both knew that his proximity to racist media portrayals of Black men could taint his interaction with some staff.
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Later that night, my nursing colleague was in tears as her patient’s successive requests for pain relief were met with excessive scrutiny as his condition worsened.
The mistreatment of this young Black man was a deeply disconcerting display of how unconscious biases can lead to substandard healthcare provision on our part. I was troubled not only by the hostility with which he was met, but by the potential repercussions that this negative experience may have on his health-seeking behaviours in the future.
In addition to these biases, policies like the Prevent strategy and the “hostile environment” policy may also exacerbate inequalities. Prevent imposes a statutory requirement on NHS staff to report patients who exhibit specific indicators of “radicalisation” which include “feeling persecuted”, “changing friends and appearance” and “converting to a new religion”.
Critics continue to voice concerns about the quality – and paucity – of evidence that the strategy was founded upon.
Amongst referrals from schools for perceived radicalisation, the majority of cases have been marred with racial and religious stereotyping.
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Referrals from the NHS also disproportionately include Asian patients and those racialised as Muslim. One report even recounts the ill-suited referral of a young man, who was incapable of undertaking day-to-day tasks such as self-feeding or walking independently, to Prevent by his physiotherapist for watching videos of Islamic sermons online.
“I have asked immigration officers to pause their questioning of an elderly, Indian gentleman who was violently short of breath having just been carried out of an ambulance with an oxygen mask.”
The “hostile environment”, which makes it more difficult for those without leave to remain to access UK healthcare, also contributes to worsening health disparities based on race.
As a UN Special Rapporteur on Racism once reported in 2019, the policy “is destroying the lives and livelihoods of racial and ethnic minority communities”. This is due to harassment, racial profiling and misunderstandings between race, ethnicity and immigration status.
The impact of the policy on the ground is unsettling; I have recoiled as a colleague attempted to block an urgent referral for a young man with advanced cancer given her misunderstanding regarding eligibility to healthcare. I also have asked immigration officers to pause their questioning of an elderly, Indian gentleman who was violently short of breath having just been carried out of an ambulance with an oxygen mask.
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Policing healthcare like this will impair the relationship between patients and the healthcare system with racial minority patients being worse off.
If we are truly committed to the fight against health inequities in the UK, it is time to refine our understanding of racism to include broader structures that have long underpinned deep-seated inequalities in the UK.
It is paramount that we not only acknowledge, but dismantle, racist structures in all of its forms within healthcare – including implicit biases and poorly-reasoned health policy – so that no-one in Britain is at a disadvantage based on their race. Only then will our efforts to improve the public health of racial minorities on the ground bear fruit.
Dr Harun Khan is a physician, public health researcher. Follow him on Twitter @haruunsays


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--Paying For A Boots Covid Test Is Morally Indefensible

Yeongsik Im via Getty Images
One of the peculiar quirks of the Covid era is our newfound preoccupation with the ins and outs of testing.
Right at the beginning of the pandemic, when we were seeing the first trickle of cases on our hospital wards, all we knew about the SARS-CoV-2 testing was that it wasn’t very good.
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As many as a third of infected cases were producing false negatives, which may have been, in part, due to the unfamiliarity we had with even using the swabs – how far should they go in? Nose or mouth first? What bottle does it go in?
Flash forward six months and everyone is now an expert, or so it seems. And our fractured testing system has only got more complicated, after Boots announced it would offer a new rapid test that can give you a Covid result in just 12-minutes. The catch? It’ll cost you £120.
Testing in the UK has been a contentious subject since the start of the pandemic, riddled with endless controversies, including the abject failure of the outsourced test and trace system.
The government offers four pillars of Covid testing: 1 & 2 are nose and throat swabs, which look for specific sequences of genetic material in the lab, detecting current infection, called RT-PCR. Pillar 1 is for hospital patients and Pillar 2 the outsourced community testing programme. Pillar 3 is antibody tests, looking for recent or past infection. Lastly, Pillar 4 is surveillance, and is a combination of the above.
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But the Boots test, known as the LumiraDx, is a different type altogether, called an antigen test to detect current infection. So is this pricey, private test a good addition to the testing arsenal?
In short, no.
Firstly, all tests have limitations – producing both false negatives and false positive results. Even for the gold standard, false negatives still occur between one in three and one in 50 positive cases, meaning an infected person would be walking around thinking they are disease-free.
Notably the Lumira test is “comparable to” but not the same as the current swab testing, increasing the false negative rate further, especially at a delay from symptoms.
Worse, even if you are infected early on, you can still test negative and then positive again just a day later, as the amount of virus in your body changes rapidly, so the “peace of mind” this can give you is short-lived.
Regardless, for those that might be thinking of popping into Boots on the way to see Grandma, this may seem an attractive option – if you can afford it. And therein lies one of the biggest problems with this set-up, on two levels.
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The first is cost. This kind of quick-access testing could enable a more normal life, but is currently only available to those with considerable disposable income at hand. It’s a markedly unjust arrangement, and is morally questionable. Testing is a vital public service – every Briton should have equal access to testing, regardless of income or circumstance.
The stakes are even higher for NHS workers who are still struggling to access the tests they need to continue working. It’s not right that healthcare professionals who are at a higher risk of contracting Covid are second in line to those with a spare £120 in their pockets.
“The right solution here, both in ethical terms and for public health, would be a ubiquitous, freely available testing system, with rapid turnaround.”
Already we have had iatrogenic outbreaks on vulnerable cancer wards, and as community prevalence continues to rise this is an ever increasing risk. NHS staff are also parents and carers, accessing rapid and reliable tests for their dependents means we can return clinical staff back to the wards again ASAP without extended self-isolation.
The contrast of an expensive, high-street rapid test available when staff themselves aren’t being routinely tested throws this disparity into sharp relief.
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The second is the clinical interpretation – despite Boots advertising this as for those with no symptoms, the Lumira appears to be only licensed for those “with symptoms or at risk of infection”. The worry here is that such a test will be used by those who can afford it, not as clinically intended, to ignore the guidelines as they are currently, or take additional risks, which may spread the virus further.
The right solution here, both in ethical terms and for public health, would be a ubiquitous, freely available testing system, with rapid turnaround. While NHS Scotland has indeed ordered LumiraDx tests themselves, NHS England is only managing to turnaround 15% of tests in 24 hours, with waits up to a week for the results, which makes them next to meaningless.
Ultimately, Covid testing is in disarray. As cases rise, the percentage of contacts reached dwindles ever further, and despite the tier lockdowns, no significant reversal of the spread has occurred in any region.
While advances in testing are welcome, they need to be equitably introduced, and prioritised to where they can have the greatest impact in combatting the pandemic.
The risk here is that Boots’ new test is likely to do more harm than good, and further divide an already increasingly unequal society, at a time when we should be pulling closer together.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--Why Talking About Pain Is So Radical

Why Talking About Pain Is So Radical

Why Talking About Pain Is So Radical
Lucy Pasha-Robinson chats with BBC journalist and invisible illness activist Jam Prescod, who lives with Lupus.In this episode, we’re talking about pain: how radical it is to vocalise your pain as a Black woman; the legacy of not being believed when living with pain, and the emotional pain of adjusting to chronic illness – and all the lifestyle changes that can bring. We talk about what it means to be the perfect patient, and how to advocate for yourself in the doctor’s office – even if your consultant is kind of intimidating.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-29--Nigel Farage Gives Gushing Speech At Donald Trump Rally In Arizona

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Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has given a speech at a Donald Trump rally in America where he hailed the US president as “brave”.
The former Ukiper was with a group of Republican politicians attending Trump’s rally in Goodyear, Arizona with only six days until election day.
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At the event on Wednesday, the president described the Brexit campaigner as the “king of Europe” before calling him to the stage.
“He’s a very non-controversial person, right?,” Trump joked. “Very shy.”
Taking the microphone, Farage responded to Trump that he was neither – not “compared to you”.
Nigel Farage speaks next to Donald Trump during a campaign rally at Phoenix Goodyear Airport in Goodyear, Arizona. REUTERS
Farage went on: “Four years ago, I was honoured to come to America to bring the Brexit message ... the message that you can beat the Establishment
“That is what Donald Trump did.
“He beat the pollsters. He beat the media. He beat all the predictions. And here’s the worst bit, they’ve never forgiven him for it.”
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The former Ukip leader added: “Four years of the Russia hoax, four years of a false impeachment.
“Most human beings under that barrage would have given up.
“This is the single most resilient and bravest person I have ever met in my life!”
Trunp’s impeachment trial ended without first hearing from witnesses or examining new documents, even though some Republicans agreed the president had done exactly what he was accused of.
He was acquitted by a Republican-dominated Senate.
Trump pressured the president of Ukraine to investigate a political rival – his now presidential rival Joe Biden – ahead of the 2020 election and blocked Congress in its efforts to investigate his actions.
Farage went on to heap praise on Trump for having the “guts” to fight for the nation state, for patriotism and against globalism.
FARAGE: "This is the single most resilient and bravest person I have ever met."
Nigel Farage heaps praise on Trump as he addresses the crowd in Arizona. pic.twitter.com/UAEkA6j7J7 — Zach Purser Brown (@zachjourno) October 28, 2020
NEW: Farage just delivered a stump speech for Trump in Arizona. Called him “resilient” and “brave”. Here is most of it. pic.twitter.com/C9xbVKayYD — Ben Riley-Smith (@benrileysmith) October 28, 2020
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After introducing several lawmakers — and telling one very vulnerable Republican senator she had “one minute” in her home state — President Trump brings Nigel Farage on stage in Arizona. “He’s responsible for a lot of things that have happened in Europe,” Trump says. — Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) October 28, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--'Anonymous' Author Behind Anti-Trump 'Resistance' Op-Ed And Book Identified

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Miles Taylor has been identified as the author of a notorious anonymous op-ed in The New York Times in 2018 that claimed he was part of a secret “resistance” inside US president Donald Trump’s administration.
Taylor revealed himself Wednesday in a tweet.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, Taylor observed that “Trump sees personal criticism as subversive”, adding: “I take a different view.”
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“We do not owe the president our silence,” he said. “We owe him and the American people the truth.”
Taylor served as chief of staff to homeland security secretary Kirstjen Nielsen while the agency carried out Trump’s policy of separating migrant children from their families. He later told Telemundo he regretted having not denounced it at the time.
In a statement after Taylor revealed his identity, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany labelled the former high-level staffer a “liar and a coward who chose anonymity over action”.
Taylor addressed his insistence on anonymity in his statement, claiming a desire to focus on the message — not the messenger.
“Issuing my critiques without attribution forced the President to answer them directly on their merits or not at all, rather than creating distractions through petty insults and name-calling,” he said. “I wanted the attention to be on the arguments themselves.”
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In the Times op-ed, which was published September 5, 2018, the author was identified as a “senior official” in the Trump administration and claimed to be one of many people “working diligently from within to frustrate parts of [Trump’s] agenda and his worst inclinations”.
The same person also anonymously authored a book, “A Warning,” published in 2019, which, among other behind-the-scenes revelations, claimed that a number of senior officials once considered resigning from the administration all together in response to Trump’s conduct, but ultimately decided against it.
The anonymous author, who had previously said they’d reveal their identity before the election, chose to wait until just six days before polls close November 3 to speak out openly.
“It may be cold comfort in this chaotic era, but Americans should know that there are adults in the room,” the author wrote in the 2018 op-ed. “We fully recognise what is happening. And we are trying to do what’s right even when Donald Trump won’t.”
However, the author reportedly expressed doubts in 2019 that this so-called resistance group of “unelected bureaucrats and cabinet appointees” within the White House could fix Trump.
After the op-ed came out, Trump called for the author to resign, calling the writer “gutless” and demanding that the Times “turn him/her over to government at once!”
Several officials who have left the Trump administration have since spoken out against the president, including former aide to vice president Mike Pence and coronavirus task force member Olivia Troye.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-28--Boris Johnson Has A Woman Problem. When Will He Sort It Out?

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Before realising his dream to enter Downing Street as “world king”, Boris Johnson did little to endear himself to women.
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Students of his early work will recall that Spectator article in which the PM, then a journalist, berated “uppity and irresponsible” single mothers for having children “independently of men”.
His juvenile dismissal of David Cameron as a “girly swot” and claims “voting Tory will cause your wife to have bigger breasts” also rather suggest he doesn’t take women seriously.
Before the election, Johnson’s allies played all this down as jokes, insisting he “cares a great deal about women and girls” and should be measured by his “deeds not words”.
Fast-forward to 2020 and a pandemic which is ballooning existing inequalities and politicians of all hues are feeling a bit less forgiving.
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One of his defenders back in 2019 was Baroness Nicky Morgan, the Tories’ former culture secretary.
She took the government to task on Wednesday over its failure to protect women against those who threaten to share intimate images online – also known as “revenge porn”.
Morgan wanted to know why the government had not sped up legislating against such threats using coercive control clauses in the Domestic Abuse Bill.
Especially, she said, as one in seven young women were being targeted.
She said: “We know that perpetrators of domestic abuse are increasingly using technology and the internet to abuse and control their partners/ex-partners.”
The government is scrutinising a Law Commission review on the subject, said minister Baroness Jane Scott, saying the government will “look very carefully” at amendments.
But crossbench peer Lord Simon Russell rather hit the nail on the head when he rose to back up Morgan.
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Pointing out revenge porn threats were “affecting a lot of women right now this minute”, he added “Scotland was leading the way”, with Holyrood already having legislated.
Whatever the government’s bandwidth for policy beyond Covid, Johnson cannot claim to be unaware of the spike in domestic abuse during the pandemic.
Refuge said in June that calls to its hotline spiked by 80% and victims’ commissioner Vera Baird was among those sounding the alarm over a tsunami of abuse masked by coronavirus restrictions.
It is also not the first time the government has fallen short on coming up with the “deeds” this parliament, either.
It was Labour MP Harriet Harman and Tory backbenchers such as Laura Farris and Mark Garnier who drummed up support to outlaw the so-called “rough sex defence”, which was increasingly being used to deny families justice.
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More than a month after the Law Commission recommended misogyny be treated as a hate crime (a campaign led by Labour’s Stella Creasy and several charities) the government has failed to act.
Numerous studies have shown women are facing devastating consequences during the pandemic. Women are shouldering a greater share of childcare responsibilities, are more likely to lose their job, experience depression and other mental health problems, and are more likely to experience food insecurity.
Parliament has been preoccupied with divisive battles over local lockdowns and a toxic debate over free school meals and whether “chaotic parents” (copyright, Tory MP John Penrose, on this occasion) are to blame for holiday hunger.
So why does Johnson seem to have a tin ear over how Covid is affecting women?
Tory MP Caroline Nokes was not the first to point out that the Brexiteer-heavy cabinet is “filled with men”, and Johnson has himself hinted a reshuffle could be on the cards.
Westminster insiders say Liz Truss’ dual role of international trade secretary and women and equalities minister shows Johnson’s lack of commitment to helping women.
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“You aren’t exactly leaning in if you’re striking trade deals in Japan,” said one.
But as an unemployment crisis looms, many fear that the hard yards of the Covid crisis are yet to come, and if Johnson is to make good on his promises to “unite and level up”, he can’t ignore women any longer.