thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-05--Push For Civil Servants To Return To Offices 'Virtue Signalling', Union Chief Says

Prompts for civil service bosses to get the vast majority of staff back into the office have been labelled “virtue signalling” by a union chief.
Outgoing Cabinet secretary Sir Mark Sedwill, in a letter seen by the PA news agency, has written to the permanent secretaries of government departments calling on them to bring as much as 80% of public sector staff back into the workplace.
Sedwill, in the note dated September 3, said Boris Johnson had asked to be personally involved in the back-to-work drive and wanted to see departmental figures on a “weekly basis” following Cabinet agreement that increasing office numbers would be “hugely beneficial for our workforce”.
Downing Street this week denied the existence of a “back-to-work” campaign but Sedwill’s letter is yet further evidence that ministers fear huge job losses in town and city centre shops and cafes if workers do not return to their pre-lockdown commuter patterns soon.
The PM is keen for the public sector to lead from the front on the return to work and has even reportedly told Tory MPs he wants the Commons “back to normal” by Christmas.
Sedwill said departments which were below their coronavirus staffing constraints “should now move quickly to seek to bring more staff back into the office in a Covid-secure way”.
He wrote: “We are now strongly encouraging an increased workplace attendance through staff rota systems, with our aim by the end of September to enable 80% of staff to attend their usual workplace each week, for example 20% for five days, 30% for three days and 30% for two days, with the balance attending only occasionally for now.”
But Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA, a union representing civil servants, said such targets would be difficult to achieve.
He said office use in Whitehall was already “oversubscribed” even before Covid restrictions were introduced.
Workplace guidance includes introducing one-way systems, staggered shift times and limiting the number of colleagues that staff members are exposed to in order to prevent the spread of the virus.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Penman said: “There are two fundamental problems with this approach from the government.
“One is its practicality – government offices have a capacity of a maximum of around 50% because of the Covid restrictions.
“In a lift, for example, you can have a maximum of two in offices of thousands of people.”
Penman argued the civil service had worked “effectively” since the pandemic started, dealing with the increased demand for Universal Credit and starting the furlough programme from the ground up, all with staff being 95% home-based.
He added: “It is quite clear from the letter that has been sent out, this is really about virtue signalling to the private sector that has already moved on.
“You’re not telling me that the big financial houses in the City of London would be having their staff working remotely if it wasn’t working effectively for them.”
Figures published on Friday suggest employees are beginning to curtail their work from home habits.
According to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), there has been an increase in people travelling to work in the last two months, with fewer working exclusively from home.
The ONS said 57% of working adults reported that they had travelled to work – either exclusively or in combination with working from home – in the past seven days, while 20% had worked solely from home.
The findings show an increase from the results of an ONS survey in the last week of June when 49% of working adults said they had travelled in to work, and 29% said they had worked exclusively at home.
The latest statistics are based on survey responses from 1,644 adults in Britain between August 26 and 30.
Transport for London has also recorded more passengers using both the Tube and buses throughout the week.
It said 630,000 passengers used the London Underground network on Friday from the start of service until 10am – 21.1% higher than during the same period last week although still 69.2% lower than the same period last year.
Bus journeys in the capital were also up 29.6% on last week, but down 50.8% on 2019.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-05--Dave Grohl Concedes Defeat In 'EPIC' Drumming Battle With 10-Year-Old

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It’s times like these that show how damn good Nandi Bushell is at drumming.
Now, her star appears set to soar even further.
Nandi last month threw down the gauntlet to Dave Grohl and challenged the Foo Fighters founder to a drum-off, which Dave accepted.
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The pair engaged in a drum battle over the track Dead End Friends, by the music legend’s supergroup Them Crooked Vultures.
And eventually, Dave had to declare Nandi as the winner.
“You win round one.…but it ain’t over yet!” he tweeted, adding: “Buckle up, cuz I have something special in mind…”
Ok, @Nandi_Bushell ......you win round one....but it ain’t over yet! Buckle up, cuz I have something special in mind...
Stay tuned,
Dave https://t.co/THyApmHHep — Foo Fighters (@foofighters) September 4, 2020
NAndi, meanwhile, tweeted she was “so proud” of her “EPIC” victory.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-05--Game Of Thrones' Maisie Williams Reveals She Almost Didn't Get Her Big Moment In The Finale

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Of course, it’s not that hard to see why.
Her character, Arya Stark, got to kill the Night King in one of season eight’s most memorable moments, and definitely got one of the best endings in what was a mixed bag of a finale.
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However, in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Maisie has revealed that the moment almost didn’t belong to her at all.
Yes, you guessed it – it was originally supposed to be Jon Snow that took down the Night King.
Maisie Williams in the Game Of Thrones finale HBO
According to Maisie, co-star Kit Harington told her: “It was going to go that way. Someone told me in season three that I was going to kill The Night King.”
“Then,” she added, “He read the script, and it was Arya the whole time.”
Asked why she thinks producers ultimately chose to go another way, handing the big moment over to her character, Maisie said: “I think it would’ve been too obvious [had Jon Snow killed the Night King].
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“I’m glad that it was Arya, honestly. I think I had the best storyline of the final season.”
Maisie Williams Jacopo Raule via Getty Images
Despite the world being gripped by Game Of Thrones’ final series, Maisie recently admitted she actually “zoned out” during that time, explaining: “It really, it just consumed so much of my life for 10 years, and then this episode was just like everything that my character had been working for, and it was like the ultimate ending for her.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-05--Professor Dies Teaching Online Class After Battle With Covid-19

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A university professor in Buenos Aires, Argentina, who had been battling symptoms of coronavirus for several weeks, reportedly collapsed and died on Wednesday while delivering an online class from her home.
Paola De Simone, 46, a member of the government and international relations faculty at the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa, passed out while teaching via the video conferencing platform Zoom, reported the Clarín newspaper.
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Students participating in the virtual lecture reportedly asked De Simone for her address so that they could send medical help, according to the Pagina 12 outlet. But she only responded “I can’t” before passing out, per MDZ Online.
Images of the tragic incident were later shared online, according to local news reports, sparking anger among social media users.
De Simone, the mother of a young daughter, had just days earlier noted on Twitter how she’d been fighting Covid-19 for a month and that her symptoms had shown no sign of easing off, reported Perfil.
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She also revealed that her husband, a doctor who was not at home at the time of her death, was exhausted from the increased workload resulting from the public health crisis. He reportedly arrived home to find his wife dead.
Está muy complicado. Llevo más de 4 semanas y los síntomas no se van. Un amigo nuestro está complicado. Mi marido está agotado por trabajar tanto en este momento (médico terapia y emergencias) Llega a más público y daña más. — Paola De Simone (@paolillabombon) August 28, 2020
The coronavirus has killed more than 9,300 people in Argentina.
Upwards of 450,000 have tested positive for the contagion nationwide. The country is currently experiencing a severe uptick in the number of confirmed cases, with around 12,000 new infections now being recorded each day.
The university described De Simone, an employee for 15 years, in a statement shared on its social media accounts as “a passionate and dedicated teacher” and a “great” person.
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Friends and colleagues also honored the educator, hailing her spirit and dedication to her students.
Despedida a una amiga. Te vamos a extrañar, @paolillabombon. pic.twitter.com/f7uXiR2EMC — Facundo Cruz 💚 (@facucruz) September 2, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-05--Piers Morgan And Denise Welch Clash Over Divisive This Morning Appearance

Denise Welch and Piers Morgan were embroiled in a heated Twitter exchange following the Loose Women star’s divisive appearance on This Morning.
And the fact they managed to have such a public clash on social media when one has had the other blocked for a number of years now is quite something, to be honest.
On Friday, Denise was interviewed on This Morning about her belief that the “mainstream media” and government had been “scaremongering” the public with relation to the coronavirus pandemic.
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“I have been appalled at the way the government and indeed our media have represented this virus to people,” she said, citing an increase in mental health issues like depression and anorexia during the pandemic.
'I will do anything to help balance the fearmongering'@RealDeniseWelch passionately shares her views on the negative impact coronavirus related news is having on the nation's mental health.
Find out how ITV is supporting the nation 👉 https://t.co/aLur8azo9P #BritainGetTalking pic.twitter.com/KXc9sSxZlG — This Morning (@thismorning) September 4, 2020
“For five months now,” Denise continued, “We have had a rolling death count every day, we’ve never had one for the 500 that die of cancer, we’ve never had one for 180 people who die of heart disease every day, or the 20+ at the moment who are dying of suicide every day…
“But funnily enough, as things have improved drastically over the few months, I notice that I didn’t see the other day, when the news starts – bong! Nobody died in the UK because of a corona-related illness... so if you’re going to frighten us with how many were dying every day, please enlighten us and tell us how things have improved.”
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The interview sparked a mixed reaction online, and while some celebrities showed Denise their support, including Alison Hammond and Amy Hart, one famous face who was unimpressed was Piers Morgan.
Piers Morgan and Denise Welch Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
Tweeting afterwards, the Good Morning Britain presenter wrote: “Dumb, deluded & dangerous Covid-deniers like Denise Welch need to stop being given airtime.
“Her idiotic, ill-informed ramblings – from a woman who never stops telling us that she suffers from mental illness – will cost lives by persuading people to think the virus isn’t a threat.”
Dumb, deluded & dangerous Covid-deniers like Denise Welch need to stop being given airtime. Her idiotic, ill-informed ramblings - from a woman who never stops telling us that she suffers from mental illness - will cost lives by persuading people to think the virus isn’t a threat. — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) September 4, 2020
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Sharing a screengrab of Piers’ tweet (she couldn’t quote-tweet him since he actually blocked her during a row about mental health years earlier), Denise wrote back: “Please ask Mr Morgan to show me one tweet, one interview where I have denied Covid? He doesn’t want to be telling complete and utter lies with such a huge following. Seriously.”
Please ask Mr Morgan to show me one tweet, one interview where I have denied Covid? He doesn’t want to be telling complete and utter lies with such a huge following. Seriously. pic.twitter.com/lyJ83BSWZ4 — Denise Welch (@RealDeniseWelch) September 4, 2020
Fellow Loose Women star Nadia Sawalha then weighed in, writing: “I genuinely hope that neither @piersmorgan nor anyone he loves ever has to endure the pain of struggling with their mental health ... sending you the biggest of hugs @RealDeniseWelch a damn fine woman is what you are.”
I genuinely hope that neither @piersmorgan nor anyone he loves ever has to endure the pain of struggling with their mental health ... sending you the biggest of hugs @RealDeniseWelch a damn fine woman is what you are 💜 https://t.co/XXO0aYcHUs — nadia sawalha (@nadiasawalha) September 4, 2020
Piers quote-tweeted Nadia, writing: “If I had a loved one suffering from mental illness, I would stop them going on TV to spout ill-informed nonsense about Covid no longer being a serious threat.”
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Nadia quickly fired back, stating that Denise’s views shouldn’t be “dismissed or rubbished on the grounds of mental health issues alone”
“It’s a slippery slope,” she added. “Have the argument @piersmorgan... just don’t attack on such a personal level ... Can you not be better than this?”
If I had a loved one suffering from mental illness, I would stop them going on TV to spout ill-informed nonsense about Covid no longer being a serious threat. https://t.co/MZ6Dl9ssyW — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) September 4, 2020
What’s frustrating is when people’s opinions are dismissed or rubbished on the grounds of mental health issues alone - it’s a slippery slope ... have the argument @piersmorgan ... just don’t attack on such a personal level ...
Can you not be better than this ? @RealDeniseWelch https://t.co/byNgXhCg3k — nadia sawalha (@nadiasawalha) September 4, 2020
Denise then accused Piers of “setting the ‘it’s good to talk’ campaign back 20 [years]”, sarcastically adding: “Of [course] people who have admitted to mental health issues are incapable of making rational decisions for themselves. Unbelievable!!!!”
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Basically Piers Morgan setting the ‘it’s good to talk’ campaign back 20 yrs. Of cause people who have admitted to mental health issues are incapable of making rational decisions for themselves. Unbelievable!!!! pic.twitter.com/kzepqSQsh0 — Denise Welch (@RealDeniseWelch) September 4, 2020
Of course not cause!! 🥴 — Denise Welch (@RealDeniseWelch) September 4, 2020
Piers actually blocked Denise Welch on Twitter in 2017, following a heated row about mental health.
When she took Piers to task for suggesting singer Will Young was a “whiny twerp” for speaking openly about his struggles with PTSD, Denise shared a screenshot of the controversial broadcaster’s page, revealing he’d blocked her from seeing his tweets.
Last month, Piers also blocked fellow Loose Women star Carol McGiffin, in another row about Covid-19.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-05--Priti Patel Accuses Extinction Rebellion Of 'Attack On Democracy' As Activists Block Newspaper Print

Priti Patel Accuses Extinction Rebellion Of 'Attack On Democracy' As Activists Block Newspaper Printers

Hertfordshire Police assistant chief constable Owen Weatherill said officers were “working to facilitate the rights of both the protesters and those affected by their presence” but protesters were not co-operating.
“The rights to protest are well established in this country and we remain committed to facilitating peaceful protest and ensuring compliance,” he said in a statement.
“However, at this time, the group are not engaging with us and the protest is causing major disruption to local businesses.
“At this time, 13 people have been arrested in connection with the incident, and we anticipate more arrests will be made.
“I’d like to reassure you that we are doing all we can to bring the incident to a peaceful conclusion, ensuring minimum disruption to the affected businesses.”
Merseyside Police tweeted on Saturday morning that officers were still in attendance at the Knowsley plant.
A spokesman for Newsprinters said in a statement: “This attack on all of the free press impacted many workers going about their jobs. Overnight print workers, delivery drivers, wholesale workers and retail newsagents have faced delays and financial penalty. This is a matter for the police and the Home Office.
“Thanks to other industry partners, printing was transferred to other sites.
“We apologise sincerely to any readers of The Sun, The Times, the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph and the Financial Times who may be unable to buy their usual newspaper this morning due to late deliveries.”
XR protesters also held a smaller demonstration near Motherwell aimed at disrupting the distribution of Saturday’s Scottish Sun newspaper.
Meanwhile, climate change protesters have been warned they risk a large fine if they fail to comply with coronavirus rules banning gatherings of more than 30 people.
The Met Police said risk assessments explaining how XR activists were minimising the possibility of Covid-19 transmission at a planned march in Westminster “did not meet the required standard”.
The force said XR’s latest round of demonstrations “pose a risk, not only to those involved, but to the wider public and communities of London”.
On Saturday a procession of activists that set of from Brighton on foot a week ago is due to march the final stretch to Parliament, depsite the fact they have been banned from taking a 20ft model boat named after teenage activist Greta Thunberg to the streets of Westminster.
On Friday Met Police assistant commissioner Louisa Rolfe warned the group not to take The Lightship Greta into an area stretching from Green Park to Lambeth.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-05--Black Panther Producer Shares Moving Final Text From Chadwick Boseman

Nate shared his final text from Chadwick, in which the actor insisted on coming through for the child:
It broke me, man. But we need to do that for them. People deserve abundant life, special moments. They’ve been through hell battling disease. If we were able to ease their suffering and bring joy for a moment, and hopefully moments has he goes through the bags, then we made a difference in his life.
And though it might seem now that Chadwick cared so much because he too was battling a disease, Nate doesn’t think that was the reason the actor was so determined.
“I think that’s just who he was as a man. A leader and a caregiver first, who accomplished both of those things as a performer and as a regular person,” he said.
Like Nate, actor Josh Gad also recently paid tribute to Chadwick by sharing a final text exchange, in which the Black Panther star poetically urged people to “take advantage of every moment we can”.
“He knew how precious every moment was. Tonight the Heavens received one of its most powerful angels,” Josh wrote.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-05--Katie Price Reveals She's Receiving Treatment At The Priory Following Traumatic Injuries

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Katie Price has revealed that she is receiving treatment at The Priory following the traumatic accident in which she broke both of her feet.
Earlier this year, the reality star and former glamour model seriously injured herself after jumping over a wall while on holiday in Turkey.
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At the time, doctors in Turkey said they should operate there and then, but Katie said she would prefer to wait until her holiday was over and she returned to the UK.
Since then, she has shared multiple candid updates about her condition, telling fans it could take her up to two years until she’s “back on her feet”.
Katie Price Rick Findler - PA Images via Getty Images
In a new interview with The Sun, Katie has spoken for the first time about how her injuries have impacted her mental health.
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She explained: “My feet will never be the same again. I have to learn to walk again. I wouldn’t even have the strength to stand, even if I wanted to, because I’ve lost all my muscle through wastage.
“It’s literally learning to move my toes, trying to do the same with my ankle. I’ve been through so much mental stuff, you know.”
“I was in The Priory at the beginning of the year and I came out a different person, then this happens. It’s just bad, it’s just shit. So mentally, it’s hard to cope.”
Katie Price has been updating fans about her recovery on YouTube YouTube
Katie continued: “I am being treated in The Priory again because my mental health has been so badly affected. It’s hard to come to terms with not being able to walk across the room.
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“People think I was faking it because I was still going out and about or still looking chirpy and happy. What the hell am I supposed to do, sit on the sofa and get mentally depressed that I can’t do nothing?”
Last week, Katie announced she would be taking a break from the spotlight to focus on her recovery.
A statement posted on her Twitter page read: “Katie is taking some time out of the media spotlight. Her family and [doctors] have told Katie that she must rest in order to heal.
“Katie wants to thank everyone for their ongoing support and will be back when she feels ready.”
Useful websites and helplines
Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-05--British South Asians Speak Out About Anti-Black Racism Within Their Communities

“Anti-Blackness is in our history and customs through wealth, inequality and casteism, colourism and, later, colonialism.”
Journalist Sharan Dhaliwal is discussing anti-Black racism within south Asian communities in the UK – particularly in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, which has gained momentum during 2020 fuelled by police violence towards Black people.
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Journalist Sharan Dhaliwal Sharan Dhaliwal
“There has still been solidarity,” Dhaliwal told HuffPost UK. “But there have been many noticeable moments of anti-Blackness, whether it’s the N-word, microaggressions using Black vernacular or profiting off Black creativity.”
It is 43 years this week since the Race Relations Act became law in the UK, largely thanks to the efforts of Black campaigners.
The act finally gave some limited protection to Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people who faced discrimination in employment, the provision of goods and services, education and public functions.
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But just as it failed to prevent systemic racism by white people, it also failed to prevent Afriphobia among other ethnic groups, too.
“It can be seen across many white and non-white people of colour communities,” said Dhaliwal. “Within the south Asian [community] I am in, I have seen it a lot.”
Dhaliwal is not alone in calling this out: British south Asians have stood side-by-side with anti-racist protesters of all backgrounds, as well as writing frankly about addressing their own internalised anti-Black racism. And people with south Asian heritage are, of course, victims of white supremacy too.
Colonial systems
Afriphobia within south Asian communities likely has its origins in the colonial system in Africa.
Africa’s then white colonial rulers placed themselves at the top of the social system, with south Asian workers serving as a buffer for commerce and administration. It was a deliberate move by the hierarchy to divide and conquer. South Asians placed in Africa were also given land and a large share of commercial trade in east Africa.
In 1963 Kenya gained independence from the UK, and the ruling African majority gave Asians two years to acquire Kenyan citizenship.
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Fewer than 20,000 submitted before the deadline, fuelling growing animosity and distrust from Africans, who considered them to be disloyal. A policy of “Africanisation” was introduced and many Asians were sacked from their jobs and replaced by Africans.
The introduction of the Kenyan Immigration act required Asians to obtain work permits, while the Trade Licensing Act limited the areas in which Asians could trade. Many left Kenya and resettled in the UK.
In 1972 Uganda’s then president, General Idi Amin, announced the expulsion of “any person who is of Asian origin extraction or descent” as part of an “economic war on foreign exploitation” after he accused the population of disloyalty, non-integration and commercial malpractice. Amin defended the expulsion by arguing that he was “giving Uganda back to ethnic Ugandans”.
Over 27,000 south Asians were expelled from Uganda. Many settled in culturally diverse areas of the UK: London, Leicester and Birmingham were particularly popular.
But divisions persisted in Britain.
White families and affluent Caribbeans first began to move away from the Lozells area of Handsworth in Birmingham in the mid-1980s as south Asians settled and made an economic base for themselves – much to the annoyance of Caribbean traders, who saw their customer bases shrink as south Asian businesses grew.
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On October 22, 2005, tensions boiled over in the first of two days’ civil unrest between Black and south Asian communities. It followed the alleged gang rape of a teenage Black girl by a group of Asian men, triggering protests and peaceful demonstrations urging Black people to boycott all south Asian businesses in the area.
But events quickly escalated, shops were attacked and police were pelted with bricks and bottles. Twenty-three-year-old IT support worker Isaiah Young-Sam, an innocent bystander, was targeted by a group of Asian men and stabbed to death, while 18-year-old Aaron James was accidentally shot by his friend whilst allegedly fleeing from police during the disturbances.
Police take to the streets during a second night of violence in Lozells, Birmingham, in October 2005 PA
Speaking to the Guardian in 2005 about the riots, Maxie Hayles – who chaired the now-defunct Birmingham Racial Attacks Monitoring Group – said: “The problem transcends economics. Afro-Caribbeans have been spending in Asian shops for many years now, but they don’t give them enough respect. They don’t employ Black people in their shops and it’s about the way they treat their customers – the way they look at them.”
His words were echoed by Dhaliwal, who told HuffPost UK this week: “Unifying the communities shouldn’t be the forefront of the struggle for Black people. It should be for south Asian people to take accountability and move forward. Although this is happening greatly with bubbles in the community and from younger generations there is still a lot more work to do.
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“Anti-Blackness is inherent in many non-Black communities and with south Asians, until we all recognise it within us to work on it, we won’t be able to move forward.
“I think the Asian community should do more. You have to stand up for things that are wrong. If you don’t, nothing will ever change.”
What it’s like having both African and Asian heritage
Earlier this year, a British south Asian caller to LBC’s Majid Nawaz’s weekend show implored the South Asian community to do more to support and show solidarity towards the black community.
A mother of mixed-race children, she said they had experienced more anti-Black racism from their own community than from outside it, and that there was a strong need for change.
“I think Asian people only claim the Race Relations Act when it suits them,” says Amarah, 17, a third generation British student from north London whose family is Pakistani and Black Caribbean.
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“I’ve seen it many times. They are like: ’I’m a person of colour, so I should be able to have this, things like certain jobs, but Black people can’t have the same thing as me because I am better than them.”
Amarah first became aware of ”subtle” anti-Black racism within her own family two years ago.
“I watched the movie The Hate U Give [a 2018 film about the aftermath of a Black high school student witnessing a police shooting] and afterwards they started making racist jokes about the character, and said Black people get stopped on the street because they are all criminals anyway, and I thought: ‘OK, this isn’t normal.’”
As she got older and began to surround herself with more Black people, she quickly realised these were not jokes but racist comments.
Just before she went on her first march, she decided to call her Asian side of the family out. “I said to them: ‘You are not doing enough to support me at this difficult time.’”
Since then, they have made small gestures of support for BLM, she says. But she feels they are still at times ignorant to the situation.
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“They will post on social media in solidarity for things like Blackout Tuesday – and then straight after, they will continue to make insensitive jokes and say the N-word,” she said.
For her, the most frustrating thing is that family members consume Black culture, but stay silent or even spread misinformation when it comes to Black suffering. “They say stuff like they [Black people] weren’t the only ones – Indian people were slaves too so they should get over it. They are just oblivious to the whole BLM and really believe it doesn’t affect them.”
She added: “What annoys me the most is that they will claim to be a person of colour until they have to stand in solidarity with a Black person of colour. I have tried to educate my family and I post a lot about BLM on social media but, sadly, I don’t think it’s getting through.”
Adil Sheikh and a friend, from east London, at a Black Lives Matter protest from Parliament Square to Downing Street in June Adil
‘I wouldn’t go on a BLM march’
Ali, a first generation British Asian, believes the BLM movement has been “created to divide the whole community – Blacks, Asians and Whites”.
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“They say it’s for Black people, to create more opportunities for them, and they encourage us to go on marches to support them. But if we do that, white people are going to think: ‘We matter too.’”
The 45-year-old businessman admits he is finding it difficult to support the movement. “Black lives matter,” he said, “but equally all lives matter and the reality is it’s the same people, white people, that enslaved Black people that are now saying Black lives matter.”
Ali believes the BLM movement gives people a false sense of power, and thinks that all people should be treated equally.
“We are all humans and we should all be treated equally and when I say all lives matter, I am going through the Islamic way,” he said.
“The majority of my friends are Black, but I wouldn’t go on a BLM march to show solidarity.”
Asked why, he replied: “Would a Black man come with me on a Pakistani Lives Matter march? No, and I know he wouldn’t.”
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Ali feels the protests and marches are a tactic “to create hatred and disunity between the cultures”.
“The BLM movement is not a good idea at all, to be honest,” he said, “and I don’t think that Asian people have benefited from the Race Relations Act either.”
Ali used the example of his brother, a scholar who tried for a long time to get a job without success before resubmitting an application under an English name and receiving an offer within hours.
‘Blacks, whites and Asians all standing together’
Adil Sheikh, 25, believes many Asian people have benefited from the Race Relations Act without acknowledging the efforts Black people made to make it law in the UK – among them, people such as Paul Stephenson who were behind the Bristol bus boycott.
Historic England
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Adil’s anger following the death of George Floyd in the US made him want to show solidarity to the BLM movement here in the UK. Despite the country being in the grip of coronavirus lockdown, he protested alongside other BLM demonstrators in Parliament Square in June.
But his parents, he says, initially opposed his decision to help.
“I sat down with my parents and told them that I was going to be involved,” he said. “I’m going out there in the middle of a pandemic. They needed to know why I was going to support the cause and to make sure that my own household is on the same wavelength as me – because if they weren’t I had to educate them.”
His dad’s experience growing up in the UK was much more segregated than his, and Adil said it took some time to convince him that BLM was a good cause.
Adil Sheikh, who spoke to his own family about their anti-Black prejudice Adil Sheikh
“He was apprehensive,” he said. “He remembers, growing up, the clashes between racial groups. He said: ‘Would a Black man stand up for you?’ But we reasoned and I got through to him in the end.
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“My mother is Pakistani and my father is Moroccan. I’m still heavily involved in the Asian culture but I identify more with my Moroccan culture because I see similarities with the Black culture.
“When I was at college my friends at that time were mostly Asian. What I noticed was the segregated racial groups. I felt pressure to stick to a side, but I didn’t want to be defined by one racial group and from then on I have always tried to have a diverse mix of friends.”
Adil said he felt it was his duty to dispel myths about south Asian communities’ lack of solidarity with Black people.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-05--Jameela Jamil Corrects Meghan Markle Rumour: 'I've Met This Woman Once'

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Jameela Jamil wants to make a few things absolutely clear: Meghan Markle isn’t in her quarantine bubble and the Duchess of Sussex certainly isn’t controlling her every move.
After the Good Place actor was pictured strolling a beach with her boyfriend, musician James Blake ― near Prince Harry and Meghan’s new Montecito home ― British tabloids reported that the couples were hanging out and even hinted that they were quarantining with each other.
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But Jameela took to Twitter this week to clear up the rumours and set the record straight on her new “best friend”.
“Went to a hotel in SB for a romantic getaway with my boyfriend... and have seen 8 days of articles with increasingly ridiculous stories,” Jameela tweeted, linking to a since-deleted article from the Daily Express.
“None of which are consistent, none of which make sense... (all to now create the lie that she controls me and coordinates my every move.)”
Jameela Jamil and Meghan Markle GettyImages
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“I’ve met this woman once. Ever,” she added. “These articles are a strategy to now blame her for MY every word and move.
“And to attempt to discredit my calling them out as if it isn’t a *FACT* that they bully and harass her for clicks, to feed Britain’s already sturdy xenophobia.”
LOL. Went to a hotel in SB for a romantic getaway with my boyfriend... and have seen 8 days of articles with increasingly ridiculous stories, none of which are consistent, none of which make sense... (all to now create the lie that she controls me and coordinates my every move.) pic.twitter.com/8PAYf88DtI — Jameela Jamil 🌈 (@jameelajamil) September 3, 2020
I’ve met this woman once. Ever. #BestFriends These articles are a strategy to now blame her for MY every word and move. And to attempt to discredit my calling them out as if it isn’t a *FACT* that they bully and harass her for clicks, to feed Britain’s already sturdy xenophobia. — Jameela Jamil 🌈 (@jameelajamil) September 3, 2020
When a follower questioned why the British press continued to write about Meghan, Jameela offered a theory of her own.
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She wrote: “As the conversation around racism in UK media is heating up, they are scrambling to justify years of racially motivated abuse/harassment by turning the public against her based on lies and rumors.
“Remember how they printed she would ‘thicken the Royal blue blood with EXOTIC DNA?’”
As the conversation around racism in UK media is heating up, they are scrambling to justify years of racially motivated abuse/harassment by turning the public against her based on lies and rumors. Remember how they printed she would “thicken the Royal blue blood with EXOTIC DNA?” https://t.co/CyBw8Iz2Wn — Jameela Jamil 🌈 (@jameelajamil) September 3, 2020
Jameela has repeatedly defended the Duchess of Sussex over the racist and sexist press coverage the royal has faced over the years.
The I Weigh podcast founder said in a separate Instagram post on Thursday that her support of Meghan has led to her own “press harassment” and people offering her family members money for dirt on her.
“Now they are hyperbolising some relationship they have decided I have with her to make it seem as if i am saying these things out of ‘loyalty’ rather than because it’s right to call out misogyny and racism when you see it,” Jameela said. “An attack against her, is an attack on all WOC/Black women.”
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“Keep this in mind when you read about her, me or really any woman in media. Especially if she has any colour to her skin,” she added.
Fellow celebrities praised Jameela’s honesty, including Demi Lovato, who wrote: “So proud of you for calling them out.”
“Well done!!” actor Sophia Bush commented. “They don’t know what to do with women who simply tell it like it is.”
While the Duchess of Sussex and Jameela aren’t quarantining together, the two do have history.
Meghan featured the actor on the cover of the issue of British Vogue that she guest-edited in September 2019, called Forces For Change.
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The record-setting cover featured 15 women, including Gemma Chan, Laverne Cox, Jane Fonda, Salma Hayek Pinault and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
The royal called Jameela to prior to the publication of the issue, an experience that she later called “outrageous.”
“She phoned me herself on my mobile phone. And I missed the call three times. They must have thought I was playing it cool,” the actor told Access Hollywood last year.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-05--Revealed: The So-Called ‘Top Class Doctors And Nurses’ Backing Anti-Mask Protests

SOPA Images via Getty Images
On Saturday, a crowd numbering in the thousands gathered in Trafalgar Square to protest... well, quite a lot of things.
It was held under the banner of “Unite for Freedom”, which purported to object primarily to measures introduced by the UK government to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
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A poster advertising the event insisted a second lockdown would be “devastating” and appealed to the public to “take a stand”, adding: “Working together we can WIN!”
It also hinted at a more conspiratorial world view, urging “no mandatory vaccines” and “no ‘new normal’”.
But for a true idea of what the event was really about it’s necessary to look at who organised it and who was on stage.
Unite For Freedom
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The organisers
Piers Corbyn
In the eyes of the law, at least, it was Piers Corbyn – brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn – who organised the event and landed himself in police custody with a fine of £10,000 for breaching newly introduced coronavirus legislation.
Speaking to HuffPost UK on Sunday, the 73-year-old climate change denier who set up controversial weather forecasting business Weather Action, said: “There was no justification whatsoever for this fine.
“The order for my arrest appears to have come from on high, nothing to do with local police. When I asked the police, they said to me it came from on high.”
Asked what he meant by “on high”, Corbyn said: “Well, who controls the Metropolitan Police? It was either the Greater London Authority or the government.”
There were also three groups listed on the promotional poster advertising the event.
Stand Up X
Stand Up X has a number of small regional Facebook pages and an Instagram account with 10,000 followers.
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The group says it is “peacefully questioning the narrative” around lockdowns and cites economic concerns for resisting lockdowns and masks, which it describes as “illegal and disproportionate Covid-19 measures”.
Barcroft Media via Getty Images
A website also says “forced, coerced and mandated vaccinations violate the principles of the Nuremberg Code” and claims contact tracing is “the digital Gestapo”.
It also appears to embrace concerns about child-trafficking inherited from the American QAnon movement, a baseless conspiracy theory that has been deemed a domestic terrorist threat in the US.
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Free People Alliance
The Free People Alliance insists it “was not created to further conspiracy theories or to argue about them” and its main campaign point is an open letter written to Boris Johnson.
The letter questions the science used by the government and claims testing procedures and statistics are flawed.
It adds: “We are all being led down a garden path.”
Barcroft Media via Getty Images
While there have been isolated issues with testing, the general method used – PCR testing – is sound. And concerns over a “statistical flaw” in the government’s death figures were hugely overblown.
People who tested positive for the virus but later died due to unrelated causes were being identified as Covid-19 deaths.
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But this doesn’t mean the number of deaths in England since the start of the pandemic has been inflated, for the simple reason that the anomaly is dwarfed by the undercounting in other areas.
Save Our Rights UK
Save Our Rights UK views the measures introduced by the UK government to fight the coronavirus pandemic as part of “a systematic oppression that has been going on for hundreds of years”.
Its stated goal is to “unite the people to take down the archaic and outdated parliamentary model and replace it with a new, radical truly democratic system”.
David Lawrence, a researcher at Hope Not Hate, said: “The bewildering array of conspiracy theory protest groups, campaigns and individuals that have emerged during lockdown appear increasingly willing to sideline differences in belief, and work together in opposition to an often ill-defined, imaginary enemy.
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“At this stage these groups remain small and desperately crave media attention, and journalists must report cautiously, to avoid advertising events and spreading their message.
“At the same time, these loose movements are still in their infancy, and are likely to continue to gather momentum as Covid-19 measures continue, and the US election approaches.”
The funders
The march appears to have been funded by a crowdfunder which covered the costs of “mobile stage, sound equipment with base bins, very large mobile video screen, live link equipment”.
It asked for and received over £9,500.
Piers Corbyn (brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn) addresses thousands of Anti mask protesters gather at Trafalger Square. NurPhoto via Getty Images
The speakers
Dolores Cahill
Dolores Cahill is a professor at University College Dublin and has made controversial statements about the coronavirus pandemic that have led to her being disowned by a number of scientific institutions.
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In an interview in May, she promised to “debunk the narrative” of the pandemic which is being used by politicians and the media “as a fear-mongering propaganda tool to try and take away rights from people and to make them more sick and to force vaccinations on us”.
Cahill has also claimed that extra vitamins could fight the disease, that lockdowns and masks were not necessary, and that those that recover from Covid-19 are “immune for life” despite no scientific evidence to show this is the case.
In June she was asked to resign from a leading EU scientific committee over her remarks.
Professor Dolores Cahill: “There have been unnecessary deaths... but it will be 10 to 20 times more people that will die because of the lockdown”. pic.twitter.com/ouBlTHrarx — HealthFreedomIreland (@HealthFreedomIE) August 22, 2020
Dr Andrew Kaufman
Kaufman is a “natural healing consultant” who rose to prominence recently in a viral video in which he claimed a vaccine against coronavirus would “genetically modify” humans.
In the video, he talks about how a future vaccine would provide a vessel to “inject genes” into humans, first by a procedure known as “electroporation”, in which an electric current “create[s] little holes in our cells that allow the DNA to go into our own cells” and then through the insertion of “foreign proteins that supposedly generate immunity”.
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Kaufman concludes that the vaccine, like the results of biotechnology in agriculture, will make humans “genetically modified organisms”.
There is no scientific evidence for any of his claims.
Dr Eric Nepute
Despite calling himself Doctor Eric Nepute, Doctor Eric Nepute is – according to the official US medical database – not a doctor. He’s a chiropractor.
He has, however, claimed Schweppes tonic water is a cure for coronavirus as it contains quinine, which he says work in a “similar-ish” way to hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine.
None has been proven to help fight coronavirus, particularly Schweppes tonic water.
Dr Iqbal Adil
Dr Adil is a consultant surgeon in the NHS who is currently under investigation by the General Medical Council (GMC) after posting videos to YouTube claiming coronavirus is a hoax and is being orchestrated by elites to control humanity.
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A GMC spokesperson told the British Medical Journal: “The interim orders tribunal imposed an interim suspension on Dr Adil’s registration, following our referral, to protect patients and public confidence.
“This interim suspension remains in place while we consider concerns about Dr Adil’s fitness to practise.”
Dr Mikael Nordfors
A Swedish physician who has been investigated for malpractice a number of times. He is barred from practising medicine in Denmark.
Republican senator Scott Jensen
Jensen is currently under investigation for by the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice after he claimed in April that he was being made to falsify death certificates to exaggerate the number of people dying from Covid-19.
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He has also falsely suggested coronavirus is no worse than influenza.
Dr Sherri Tenpenny
Tenpenny is an osteopathic doctor and prominent American anti-vaxxer despite having no clinical qualifications in virology, immunology or public health.
She also advocates the power of prayer.
Are you asking God for the things you want? Asking every day, all day? Asking boldly? Here's why you need to do that starting right now! https://t.co/IZA57hWPMG
Instagram Live M->F, 6pEST - @HappyHourwithDrT https://t.co/3npU4uToRI — Dr Sherri Tenpenny (@BusyDrT) August 28, 2020
Kate Shemirani
Shemirani describes herself as a “natural nurse in a toxic world” who is “spreading the word, not the disease”.
She was suspended by the Nursing and Midwifery Council in July, after complaints she was spreading false information about coronavirus and about vaccines.
She has claimed there is “no evidence” coronavirus even exists and recently suggested without evidence that a prominent female pop star is part of a satanic child-trafficking ring.
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Dr Kevin Corbett
According to his LinkdIn profile, Corbett trained as a nurse in the 1980s but has largely lectured since.
He has claimed there is no proof coronavirus exists and has written about “THE COVID-NAZIFICATION OF THE NHS”.
Corbett also recently tweeted about “NAZIFIED CHILD-ONLY BUSES” in response to an announcement from TfL that it would be putting on extra buses for schoolchildren this month.
LONDON MAYOR KHAN's 'PIED PIPER' BUSES
NAZIFIED CHILD-ONLY BUSES:
-Foment adult resentment
-Isolate kids from outside observers like care homes/hospitals
-Will buses have temperature monitors?#StopNewNormal-Save Lives@Piers_Corbyn @KateShemirani https://t.co/Tapel9ld1U pic.twitter.com/1tq2T9aPXH — Dr Kevin Corbett MSc PhD (@KPCResearch) August 27, 2020
David Icke
Icke is infamous for a number of baseless claims, including:
he was the son of God and that the world would end in 1997
a “small Jewish clique” was responsible for both world wars and had “financed Hitler to power in 1933″
an inter-dimensional race of reptilian beings called the Archons rule the earth
the moon is actually an alien spaceship that controls human thought
He has also insisted Holocaust denial be taught to schoolchildren and believes 5G causes coronavirus and that everything is being controlled by the state of Israel.
Chico
Chico lost in the quarter finals of X-Factor in 2005.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-05--These Graphs Show How Bad Coronavirus Is In The UK Right Now

It has been more than six months since Boris Johnson made the historic announcement he was putting the UK into lockdown – a plan that would have been unthinkable just months before.
In the following weeks, the country was battered by the force of the Covid-19 virus – daily reports of new cases topped 5,000, while the deaths of more than 1,000 people were reported in a single day in April.
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Day after day, the agenda was completely ruled by the status of the pandemic and the UK became a nation of amateur epidemiologists.
Since then, the effects of the pandemic have subsided – as spring turned into summer, the number of people dying with the virus began to drop, as did the number of people diagnosed with Covid-19 in the first place.
But as the all-dominating, headline-grabbing nature of the pandemic has waned, so too has the flow of information about its grip and extent.
The urgent daily conferences from No.10 have stopped and and the Department of Health and Social Care no longer tweets the number of people dying with the virus each day.
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So – how badly is Covid-19 affecting the UK now, compared to the peak of the pandemic?
And, with experts suggesting there could be a second surge in the virus over the winter, where is the country heading?
The number of people dying with Covid-19 has fallen dramatically
Number of coronavirus deaths in the UK (within 28 days of positive test) Gov UK data
As of September 6, the UK has seen the deaths of 41,551 people who had tested positive for Covid-19 within the last four weeks of their lives. It means the country has the fifth most coronavirus fatalities in the world.
At the peak of the coronavirus crisis, the deaths of several hundred people were being announced each day. On April 8, 1,072 people died – the highest figure during the pandemic and the only time the number has surpassed 1,000.
Since April, there has been a dramatic dive in the number of people in the UK dying with coronavirus and the number of daily deaths has remained below 100 since June 11.
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In August, daily deaths did not creep above 16. While the number has yet to hit 0, just two deaths were recorded on September 6.
Data shows coronavirus cases have dropped since April – but are starting to rise again
Coronavirus cases in the UK (by specimen date) Gov UK data
As of September 6, the UK had recorded 347,152 coronavirus cases. However, there are two ways of tracking coronavirus cases – by the specimen date, or the date the case was reported.
Recording cases by ‘specimen date’ means a positive case is counted on the day someone with the virus is given a Covid-19 test.
On the day the prime minister announced the UK lockdown on March 23, more than 2,300 people with Covid-19 were tested for the disease.
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Over the following four weeks, cases climbed rapidly, remaining above 3,400 throughout April. Covid-19 cases peaked on April 22, when 5,490 people with the virus were given a test.
The start of May brought a gradual but continuous fall in cases – between June 19 and July 28, daily cases remained below 1,000. On July 12, the UK recorded just 367 new coronavirus cases – the lowest since March 14.
But since the start of August, there has been a creeping rise in positive coronavirus tests – cases surpassed the 1,000 mark on 22 days in August.
The highest number of cases recorded in the month was on August 28, when specimens were taken from 1,585 people with the virus. On September 1, this figure rose to 1,720.
Another set of stats show a “concerning” spike in cases
The second way of presenting Covid-19 stats is by the date the case was first recorded in the government’s data.
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Coronavirus cases UK Gov UK data
On April 5, a total of 6,199 new coronavirus cases were reported for the first time – the highest throughout the entire pandemic in the UK.
While the number of new cases remained high throughout April, it fell throughout May and June, reaching a low of 352 on July 6.
However, on September 6 these statistics caused alarm when 2,988 new cases were recorded – the highest figure in more than three months.
The last time the daily increase in new coronavirus cases neared 3,000 was May 22, when the positive coronavirus tests of another 2,959 people were reported.
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Health secretary Matt Hancock said the government was “concerned” about the spike in cases, but said they were predominantly among young people – rather than at-risk elderly people.
“But of course young people can pass on the disease to their grandparents and we don’t want to see that,” he said, urging people to maintain social distancing.
One key difference between the number of cases in May and September is the number of deaths recorded.
While there was a sharp increase in the number of reported cases on September 6, the number of people dying in the UK remained low. The deaths of two people with Covid-19 were reported in the UK on the same day.
In comparison, on May 23 the deaths of 222 coronavirus patients were recorded.
It’s important to remember that testing has also increased
Number of coronavirus tests processed in the UK each day Gov UK data
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The UK’s ability to test people for coronavirus has grown hugely during the pandemic – on April 22, at the peak of the crisis, just 22,814 tests were carried out.
In comparison, 208,835 people were tested on August 27 – a near tenfold increase.
So is the recent increase in positive cases down to more testing? A rough way of trying to work this out is by calculating the percentage of positive tests over recent weeks.
Between July 1 and September 1, the percentage of positive tests (calculated using positive tests by specimen date) remained below 1%, ranging from a low of 0.23% to a high of 0.89%.
But there were day-to-day fluctuations and no obvious upward trend across the dates.
However, Matt Hancock did brand the spike in cases reported on September 6 a “concern”, urging people to maintain social distancing to avoid passing on the disease.
The rise in the number of #coronavirus cases seen today is concerning
It's vital that everyone follows the guidelines & remember: #HandsFaceSpace
If you have #coronavirus symptoms, please self-isolate & get a test:
VISIT: https://t.co/IuaL6mhJES
DIAL: 119 https://t.co/b1NqNfPuOq — Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) September 6, 2020
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There’s been a big dip in the number of coronavirus patients in hospital
Number of patients in UK hospitals with coronavirus Gov UK data
In line with Covid-19 deaths in the UK, the number of people in hospital with coronavirus has dropped dramatically in recent months, following a spike in April.
On April 12 at the height of the crisis, there were 19,872 coronavirus patients in hospital in the UK. By September 2, this had dropped to 743 – the lowest since March.
Fewer and fewer people are on ventilators
Number of coronavirus patients in mechanical ventilation beds Gov UK data
Similarly, the number of coronavirus patients requiring ventilation has fallen significantly over the past six months.
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Down from a peak of 3,301 people in the UK in mechanical ventilation beds on April 12, there were just 60 on August 28.
On September 4 – the most recent data available – 69 coronavirus patients were in these ventilation beds.
Will there be a second peak over the winter?
There have been widespread fears that there could be a second spike in coronavirus cases over the winter.
Last week, a leaked report from Sage – the group of scientists which advises the government – warned there could be 85,000 deaths across the UK this winter due to Covid-19 in a “reasonable worst case scenario”.
Seen by the BBC, the document was based on the assumptions that schools would remain open, while the government’s tracing, isolation and quarantine measures would only be 40% effective in cutting the spread of coronavirus outside households.
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Responding to the leaked report, a spokesperson for the government said it was planning for a range of scenarios, “including the reasonable worst case scenario”.
“Our planning is not a forecast or prediction of what will happen,” they said. “It reflects a responsible government ensuring we are ready for all eventualities.”
So why are scientists – and ministers – worried there could be another surge in coronavirus cases over the winter?
Passengers wearing face masks on the Jubilee Line in London PA
Professor David Alexander, an expert in emergency planning, pandemics and practical epidemiology from UCL, told HuffPost UK that there was unlikely to be a solely weather-related increase in Covid-19 cases, with the virus less seasonal than scientists first thought at the start of the pandemic.
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“It’s not merely a question of how a disease behaves in winter,” he explained. “If it were, the whole thing would be relatively simple.
“However, I think we probably will see a rise over the winter – whether you would classify that as a full scale second wave is hard to tell at present,” Alexander said.
“I think the main reason there might be an increase in epidemiological and medical terms is not so much that the disease is stimulated by winter conditions, but that immunity tends to fall generally in the winter.”
Any kind of increase would also be influenced by the public’s behaviour, as well as the effectiveness of measures implemented by the government to try and tackle the spread of the virus.
“It’s quite clear that the way people behave has a considerable impact on the spread of the disease,” Alexander added. “One thing people don’t understand about coronavirus at the moment is that the spread is exponential.”
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That means it wouldn’t take much to set off a new peak. If one person with coronavirus does not follow self-isolation rules, or people fail to wear a mask when required, they could trigger a rapid chain of infection, he explained.
The R-rate is rising – very slowly
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the reproduction – or R – rate of the virus has been seen as a key indicator of how the disease is spreading.
The R number is important – if it’s above 1, it means the epidemic growing, with each coronavirus patient infecting more than one person. If it’s below 1, the epidemic is said to be shrinking.
It has been estimated that in March – before lockdown restrictions were imposed – the R-rate was as high as 4.
Since then, there has been a steep decline in the reproduction rate of the virus, thanks in part to social-distancing, working from home and people wearing masks in public places.
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On May 22, when the government first published the R number, it was between 0.7 and 1.0.
It then dropped below 1.0 on May 29 – and remained there until August 7.
However, since then the R rate has hovered around the 1.0 mark – suggesting coronavirus infections could be growing once again.
According to the latest government data, the R rate in the UK is currently between 0.9 and 1.1, with a growth rate of between -2% and +1.
That means the number of new infections is somewhere between shrinking by 2% and growing by 1% every day.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-05--35 Meaningful Questions To Ask Your Grandparents

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How much do you really know about your grandparents, outside of their being your grandma or grandpa?
Do you know where they went on their first date? Who asked whom out? Have you inquired what your grandma wanted to be when she was a little girl? Do you know who your grandpa’s childhood hero was?
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The sad reality for many of us is that we know far too little about the lived experiences of our grandparents. We simply don’t think to ask.
But there’s never been a better time to start asking. Chances are, your grandma or grandpa would probably love to hop on a call with you and find out that you’re interested in learning about them ― who they were before they became your grandparent.
We recently asked HuffPost readers to share the one question they’re glad they asked their grandparents ― or wish they had asked when they had the chance.
See what they had to say below.
1. “What was your most memorable lesson your mum or dad taught you?” ― Diane Gottsman
2. “How would you describe your childhood?” ― Nina H.
3. “I asked my abuelo, ‘What’s the key to a good life?’ He said family and empanadas ― but mainly the empanadas.” ― Gastor Almonte
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4. “What is your favourite joke?” ― Elise Golgowski
5. “How was our family affected by the 1918 influenza pandemic?” ― Cynthia O.
6. “If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?” ― Lili Michelle
7. “Tell me the story of your courtship and marriage. I actually asked my 90-year-old mother-in-law that this week and the story was a shocker. No one had ever asked and I’m taking it to my grave!” ― Gina P.
John Fedele via Getty Images Delving into your grandparents' life story can teach you a lot about yourself.
8. “What was it like between Blacks and whites during your life? Did you ever consider how wrong things were?” ― Becky Whetstone
9. If they were married before: “Tell me about your first marriage. What happened?” ― Susan B.
10. If they lived through war years: “What kept you going through those trying times?” ― Christina M.
11. “What is something about our Jamaican heritage (or whatever your background is) or family values that you would want future generations to know?” — George James
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12. “What’s the secret to being married for so long without losing your mind?” ― Georgette
13. “What was it like during the Great Depression?” ― Jaron Fisch
14. If your grandma was a stay-at-home mum: “Was there a passion or career that you wished you could have pursued?” ― KarenLee Poter
15. If they adopted children: “What was the adoption process like in the 1930s? (Or whatever year it was at the time.)” ― Chon P.
16. If they got divorced: “Why did you divorce grandma or grandpa?” ― Anne S.
17. “How has the way sex is viewed in society changed since you were my age?” ― Sampson McCormick
18. If they weren’t born American: “How did you get your citizenship?” ― Christina Igaraividez
19. “At what point in dating was it OK to start blaming your farts on grandma?” ― Jason C.
20. “What’s the story behind our relative ____’s nickname?” ― George James
21. “What is the job you always wanted to have but didn’t have the chance to work?” ― Cam Poter
22. “What are the top values that you think are important for all of humanity?” ― Patty Blue Hayes
Westend61 via Getty Images If you can't meet in person, call or FaceTime with your grandfather.
23. “What was your favourite holiday when you were a child and why?” ― Jessica L.
24. “Looking back, was your marriage a gift or a burden?” ― BK
25. If a relative died young: “Tell me about him or her? What were they like? I asked my grandmother about her only brother, who died when he was 38. She cried and cried like it happened yesterday. She really loved him.” ― Shana S.
26. If they switched careers or opted to go to school later in life: “Why did you decide to change course midway through your life?” ― Jaron Fisch
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27. “What were your daily household chores growing up?” ― Diane Gottsman
28. “Tell me what you know or remember about your own parents and siblings. Where did the family emigrate from? How did they make a living? Where did our ancestors come from?” ― Lori H.
29. “How did you make ends meet with so many kids and one income?” ― Cayce Mae F.
30. “Who’s your favourite grandchild? I found out it wasn’t me!” ― Lili Michelle
31. “What made you approve of my father for my mother?” ― Joey Kidney
32. “Were you sexually satisfied in your marriage? Do you wish you were non-monogamous?” ― KarenLee Poter
33. “What is your most memorable travel story?” ― Cam Poter
34. “What is your advice on developing a rich inner world as we mature?” ― Patty Blue Hayes
35. “What’s something that you learned later in life that surprised you that you can share with me?” ― Sunny Rodgers


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-05--Your Ultimate Guide To Exercising Outdoors If You Never Have Before

HuffPost UK Supplied
During the depths of lockdown, the most visible shared experience – other than the weekly clap for the NHS – was the daily exercise people took in their local parks. Running, walking, and stretching became our means of attempting to upkeep some normality – as many of us tried to keep our minds healthy.
Some of us are yet to see the advantages of outdoor exercise, having been glued to the gym (or sofa) for so long. But it’s not loo late to start. Personal trainer and fitness expert Ben Walker, owner of Anywhere Fitness, is a huge advocate for it – and has given us some tips to get started.
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Firstly, it’s important to remind ourselves of the huge benefits exercise outdoors can have on our mental health. “Cabin fever is an issue that arises from spending too many hours indoors,” says Walker. “People experiencing it are subjected to feelings of distress, restlessness, irritability and depression.
“By changing your environment for one or two hours per day, you’ll feel more motivated during your workout, and avoid feelings of claustrophobia at home. This can lead to increased productivity at work.”
Another benefit is that you can pretty much exercise anywhere outside – so you’ll never be able to make the excuse that the gym’s too far away! It’ll save you money on membership costs and transport fees, too, as well as giving you the flexibility to do it as and when you want.
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First up, you might want to get some basic kit.
microgen via Getty Images Resistance bands are easily carried and have multiple uses
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“Resistance bands – I like these ones – are the ultimate kit to carry around,” explains Walker. “They’re almost weightless and fold into any size. Impressively, you can complete a full body workout with bands alone. Tie them around your legs or ankles and push outwards for a lower body workout, or stretch them apart with your hands for an upper body workout to extend your muscles.”
If you’re struggling to figure out how to use the bands, type “resistance band workout” into YouTube, and you’ll be greeted with 100s of how-to videos, with workouts you can do outside.
“Exercise mats – I use this one – are also low in weight and easy to carry rolled up. This is best used for your floor exercises during your outdoor workout. With a durable mat, you can perform yoga, Pilates, strength and core exercises, HIIT drills, and also finish your session with a routine of stretching.”
Next, let’s talk running and jogging.
Supplied Attempting a hill run can be a challenge for down the line, but at first, aim to run on a flat surface
Running is a great way to stay fit as you don’t need any equipment. It can take you anywhere, but if you’ve never run before, it might take a bit of getting used to. “The best way to overcome fears is by taking baby steps,” says Walker. “This is necessary for alerting your body gradually to exercise and avoiding injury.”
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Get started by mapping a circuit that can be manageable and measurable for recording your times over the forthcoming weeks (of course, if you don’t fancy timing yourself, that’s absolutely fine, too). Start with a circuit that’s roughly 2k, suggests Walker, and increase your distance bit-by-bit.
“Make sure to invest in proper running shoes,” he adds. “You’ll need the right footwear to avoid common overuse injuries by having midsole cushioning and arch support. I particularly like these.” You might also want to get some running socks, as they allow your feet to breathe easily – and help you avoid blisters!
Halfpoint via Getty Images Running outdoors is the precursor to a broader outdoors workout, so try and get into running first
Walker suggests making a four-week goal to get into the groove of your running programme.
In the first week: “Complete the circuit (2k) by walking at a brisk speed three or four times on different days. Record the time it takes to complete the course each time. Set a goal of completing each session at a quicker time to increase speed and intensity.”
In the second week: “Start each workout at the brisk walking speed recorded from the last session. To get properly warmed up, walk at this speed for the first half of the course, before jogging at light speed for the remainder.”
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In the third and fourth week: “Focus on running or jogging for the entire duration of your circuit. In the third week, start by jogging at a light pace for the first half of your run. For the remaining half, start to pick up the pace and if you can, increase your speed as you make your way homeward.”
At any time, if you’re finding the distance too much, begin with 1km and follow the same routine until you feel comfortable increasing the amount upwards to 5k, and eventually, 10k. “Remember to do so simple stretches after each performance to avoid injury before your next workout,” he adds.
Now, it’s time to vary your workouts to target different muscles.
Supplied Stepping up onto a park bench is a good way of using outdoor spaces to exercise rather than the gym
“The ultimate goal of an outdoor workout is to challenge your aerobic and anaerobic systems,” he explains. “We burn fat cells from aerobic activity and sugars and carbs from anaerobic activity. When we complete an efficient full body workout, we burn energy from both systems.”
Anaerobic exercises mostly include weight training exercises, which help us gain lean muscle mass that also burns more calories at rest.
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Here are some outdoor exercises to try:
Sprints.
When getting to a park, Walker suggests starting the first half of your session by doing some sprints. Run lightly for 100m and sprint for 50 metres if you can. You can increase the length and variations of your sprints as you get fitter. “This is a great way to get all energy systems firing and burning calories effectively. After this, move on to more specific exercises.”
Bench step-ups.
“Step-ups (step up onto the bench, one leg at a time, then down again) target all the muscles in the lower half of the body: quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves and also your hips. They also promote balance and stability and strengthen your core. Step-ups require a lot of movement and exertion from large muscle groups which is the reason why they burn a lot of energy.”
Bench tricep dips.
“Tricep dips are a great isolation exercise for your arms,” says Walker. “Doing this exercise on an outdoor bench is no different to the equipment you’d use in a gym. Slowly lower your body as far down as you can, and then use your arms to bring your body back up to a straight-armed position again, like below.”
Supplied These tricep dips are best completed using a bench
Bench push-ups.
Doing push-ups at an elevated height can be easier than normal ones, he says. Try and maximise how many repetitions you can do once you’ve mastered a set. Once you can achieve 20, try and approach push-ups on the floor with a mat.
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Supplied Training outdoors is good for your mind and cheaper too
Playground bar exercises.
Bars in a playground are a great way to test your strength, especially your upper body. “Find a straight horizontal bar in the park or playground (when kids aren’t around) that’s roughly above knee level. Lying on the floor, hold the bar with each hand at shoulder width. Use the muscles in your back to pull yourself towards the bar and lower yourself to the floor again. Repeat this exercise for 12-20 repetitions and take a short rest.”
“Bars can also be great for pull-ups. Let your body hang straight down with your arms fully extended (see below). Pull yourself up and squeeze your lats, rhomboids, and scapulae muscles until your chin is over the bar. Lower yourself to the same position to repeat the exercise.”
Supplied Bars are good for upper body workouts including the abs
Resistance bands exercises.
If you’ve invested in some resistance bands, try doing crab walks (walking to the side one way, then back again), with the bands around your knees. There are hundreds of exercises you can do with these bands – so it’s worth having a scan of YouTube before heading out to the park for your workout.
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And there you have it.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-05--Jordan Stephens On Mental Health And Racism: 'Sometimes I Just Want To Burn Everything Down'

TOLGA AKMEN via Getty Images/HuffPost UK JOrdan
In What Works For Me – a series of articles considering how we can find balance in our lives – we talk to celebrities about wellbeing and self-care.
Jordan Stephens has been sober for two and a half years. The Rizzle Kicks star-turned-Hollywood actor used to rely on booze and “rubbish drugs” to mask his depression, but says life without substance abuse is bliss.
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“I think I’m probably the most balanced I’ve ever been,” says Stephens, who appeared in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. “I actually think right now, I could probably drink in moderation. I believe in moderation more than extremity, but I had to be extreme to get me out of where I was before.”
Stephens was trapped in a self-destructive cycle; if he drank when he felt sad, he’d inevitably feel worse. “Then I would take other drugs and if anyone was close to me or intimate, I would fuck that up, because I’d become emotionally unavailable,” he says.
Through music and writing his song ‘Whole’, he realised he needed help. Stephens sought therapy and the track was featured in an NHS mental health campaign, leading to the creation of #IAMWHOLE, an anti-stigma mental health initiative developed by Stephens, in partnership with the NHS and YMCA.
Going sober hasn’t “fixed everything”, says Stephens, but it’s helped. “Before, when I was high and mashed all the time, I was this unattainable ball of energy and now I feel like with my friends, my family, my girlfriend, I’m not radioactive all the time – only sometimes now.”
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Samir Hussein via Getty Images Jordan Stephens and Harley Alexander-Sule of Rizzle Kicks performing onstage in 2014.
Ditching drink hasn’t come without its sacrifices though, as Stephens notes it’s still “a big cultural thing” to get drunk in Britain, despite a slight shift among younger generations.
“There’s a whole group of friends that I now see less, because they meet up at about 11pm and they’re fucking mashed by about 3am,” he says. “When I see other people get drunk, I envy the social element of drinking and the losing of the inhibitions, but the next day is the best advert for sobriety ever – hangovers will never be appealing. Ever.”
Lockdown provided a further opportunity to pause and reflect, says Stephens, who says: “I loved it!”
“I went into super health mode. I was walking my dog three times a day, I started exercising for half hour to and hour every day, I started cooking myself healthy meals, I was meditating, self-journalling. It was mad,” he adds. “It was painful as well, it wasn’t all easy, but it was really rewarding.”
The period of isolation helped him to reflect on a past break-up, plus what he wants for the future, he adds. Stephens is now dating Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall and the pair are holidaying in Venice when we chat on the phone.
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This summer also brought mental health challenges, though, and Stephens says he was impacted by the death of George Floyd, as well as seeing counter protests to the Black Lives Matter marches in the UK.
“I was knocked for a couple of weeks after that. There’s a lot of anger and it was very triggering for a lot of people,” says Stephens, who attended the Black Trans Lives Matter march alongside Thirlwall in London.
“It hasn’t just been about what was quite clearly a horrendous act of violence against a human being. There’s also the interrogation of race within our system, which is quite a lot to think about and take on.”
For Stephens, balancing his own political and social engagement alongside self-care is vital. For him, striking the balance included making an active choice not to watch the full video of George Floyd’s death.
“I would say to everyone in my community that it’s important to stay emotionally resilient while intellectually aware. It’s about trying to decide how far into the rabbit hole you’re willing to go,” he says.
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“I’m just trying to figure out how to remain balanced and stay realistic, because sometimes I just want to fucking burn everything down.”
David M. Benett via Getty Images Jordan Stephens at WOW Women Of The World festival at Southbank Centre.
Stephens has previously had periods of “intense therapy” to work through his emotions, which he recommends to others if they’re able to access professional help. But with NHS waiting lists long, he adds “it’s fucking hard, because therapy is time and money, which are two things not readily available to the people who probably need therapy the most”.
Instead, he’d like to see government investment in more preventative measures – particularly in Black communities.
“All that’s happened in the last decade or so has been the cutting back of resources, like the loss of youth centres, which would have most certainly been a form a therapy for a lot of Black men,” he says.
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“Therapy can be found not just through not just paying £90 an hour, or whatever the fuck it is in London, it can also be in feeling a sense of family and stability around you and having a space in which to vent.”
Detaching oneself from one’s phone is another underrated way to boost mental health, adds Stephens, who admits despite his celebrity status, he’s not immune to Instagram envy.
It’s why #IAMWHOLE has partnered with Lush and Zoe Sugg (aka Zoella) to mark Digital Detox Day, encouraging people to step away from their devices for a whole day.
“The rate at which we’re creating technology has surpassed even what we’re aware of,” says Stephens. “We need to at least put up some fight, in terms of whether or not we’re in control of our devices, or our devices are in control of us.”
Simply acknowledging the impact of social media has on our mental health is a step in the right direction, says Stephens. For him, sobriety has helped develop this self-awareness.
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“Since my sobriety, I’m slowly building up more of an understanding of my emotional triggers,” he says. “And that’s all you can really do in life, I think. It’s about being aware of what drives you personally. It hasn’t necessarily fixed everything, but it is what it is for now.”
#IAMWHOLE (Jordan Stephens), LUSH and Zoe Sugg have lauched Digital Detox Day, taking place on Saturday September 5. Find out more here.
Useful websites and helplines
Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
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The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-05--The Trade-Off Of Working From Home Could Be Far More Sinister Than We Realised

Video call from home during lockdown Alistair Berg via Getty Images
On a recent Zoom call with a friend, I was asked a favour. “Do you mind if I look at my other computer when we’re talking?” he asked.
This, it turns out, was a fairly normal request. Since the start of the lockdown, the company he worked for had provided special technology he’d need to work from home.
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It would allow him to perform all the tasks he’d normally do in the office, and access advanced software that would have normally been only available in-house.
The trade-off, however, felt more sinister. He would be more closely monitored and scrutinised while working remotely. And that included his company knowing not just how long he was on his work computer, but also, how regularly he was typing.
His company’s rationale was that the added surveillance measures placed on their employees was necessary to ensure the company could function in the long term, that excessive monitoring would be a temporary measure that would keep the company afloat.
Indeed, his company was one of many that had invested in tracking technologies designed to closely monitor and analyse the behaviour of their employees.
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Since the start of the pandemic, tech companies such as InterGuard, Hubstaff and Vericlock – just some of the software than can track everything from the amount of hours one spends on a laptop, to the type of content they are viewing and how long they spend on specific websites – have all seen sales increases.
Until recently, even widely used platforms like Zoom had functions where bosses could check on their employees without them being aware, and functions that would demand their attention at a whim.
Though online privacy advocates and some professional business bodies have warned that such monitoring technology might have a detrimental effect on productivity, while also causing employees to distrust their bosses, this hasn’t dissuaded some companies from investing in software so complex that it not only tracks how long one of their employees is online, but also, how often they are actually looking at their computer screen.
To my friend, much like other employees, this is now a normal part of work. But, the increase in employee surveillance around the world brings with it more urgent questions as we imagine what work in a post-covid world might look like: Namely, do the benefits of working from home, being relieved of cramped commutings and store-bought sandwiches, outweigh the costs of further intrusion, surveillance, and the sacrifice of even more privacy?
The introduction of these complex monitoring tools are relatively new in white-collar working environments, where monitoring often takes place within the office’s network itself.
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Where monitoring software like keyloggers and facial recognition tracers might feel like a novelty, it’s in lower-paid work where we can see the effects of persistent monitoring.
In some restaurants, for example, the New York Times reports that spyware that had been supposedly designed to track theft is often used to track the “productivity” of wait staff based on their physical movements between the kitchen and dining areas.
In China, some construction companies are reportedly making workers wear wristbands that can detect fatigue based on brainwaves and a pulse – using this data to decide how many breaks workers are allowed, or, if they are deemed too “unproductive” to be kept onto the workforce.
It’s not just in productivity, where software companies have benefitted from creating spyware, though. A recent VICE investigation found that corporations like Amazon had used spyware to find and access private groups on Facebook where warehouse staff, delivery drivers and other low-wage contractors communicated with each other.
Rather than being novel, this was just another example of Amazon leveraging surveillance technology to monitor its workers, alongside software that, while designed to “maintain social distancing” has received backlash from its own workers on the basis that it was actually being used to force workers to fulfil their quotas, and prevent them from even taking toilet breaks.
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“We should remember the aspects of office life that have been primary causes of anxiety and stress can easily be replicated in our home environments too – only this time, it will be far more difficult to switch off.”
The civilian surveillance technology industry is one of the most lucrative in the world, and as the pandemic has gone on, it has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry, with no signs of slowing any time soon.
Part of that may very well be offices trying to adjust to remote working at short notice. But, as a New York Times investigation showed earlier this year, the valuable element of surveillance software isn’t the ability to co-ordinate teams or help people be more productive at work.
Rather, it is the extraction of even more data, that can be sold and distributed to other technology companies building surveillance software. The Times’ investigation showed that even the most basic software was able to track everything from GPS coordinates to the general trends of an individual’s browsing histories – which could be used to paint a picture of what kind of worker someone was, and, by extension, how “valuable” they might be to a company in the future.
Though users could “game” the software – by using Virtual Private Networks to mask their locations, or using different computers while working from home, the purpose of the spyware wasn’t just to keep employees focussed on a particular task, but rather, to assess how “disposable” they are.
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As the British government is encouraging people to return to their offices, in spite of the health risks associated with urban commuting and working, it also faces a public that have not only grown more accustomed to working from home, but have also experienced health benefits from doing so.
This should be welcomed. But we should also remember that the aspects of office life that have been primary causes of anxiety and stress, can easily be replicated in our home environments too – only this time, it will be far more difficult to switch off.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-05--Lindt Is Launching Its First Ever Sharing Tin, So That's Christmas Sorted Then

HuffPost UK
In the news you never knew you needed: Lindt is launching its first ever sharing tin in time for Christmas. And it’s the joy we’ve all been craving.
Sure, you’ve got the options of Quality Street, Celebrations and Cadbury’s Heroes too, but does anything beat the milky deliciousness of a Lindt choc?
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Forget the small Lindt boxes, you can now buy the sharing tins from Tesco, Sainsbury’s, online – and in Lindt stores.
The Lindor Assorted Tin features the iconic, red-wrapped original chocolate, as well as white, extra dark, milk and white, hazelnut, and the new salted caramel flavour. Each tin has 32, individually-wrapped chocolate truffles.
Get it for £10 on promo while stocks last – after that, it’s £15 a tin. We’d say that’s worth it.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-05--Donald Trump Says US 'Hasn't Had Any Proof Yet' Of Navalny Poisoning

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Donald Trump said the US hasn’t “had any proof yet” that the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny had been poisoned, but added that officials must look “very seriously” into the allegations.
“It’s tragic. It’s terrible, it shouldn’t happen. We haven’t had any proof yet, but I will take a look,” Trump said at a news conference, before telling journalists they should be focusing on China, not Russia.
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The German government confirmed on Wednesday that Navalny had been poisoned with military-grade nerve agent Novichok, which was used in the 2018 Salisbury attack on Sergei and Yulia Skripal. Officials in Germany have said those responsible must be held to account.
Trump did not take the same strong stance adopted by the US State Department, which on Friday expressed grave concern about the finding that Navalny was poisoned.
In a meeting in Washington earlier on Friday, deputy secretary of state Stephen Biegun told Russian ambassador Anatoliy Antonov that Moscow’s use of this chemical weapon would be a clear violation of its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
“The deputy secretary urged Russia to cooperate fully with the international community’s investigation into this attack,” department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.
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Russia has until now not opened a criminal investigation and said there is no evidence yet of a crime.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-05--10 Of The Wildest And Wackiest Conspiracy Theories Pushed By Trump This Week

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He’s also refused to reject the far-right QAnon movement, calling supporters of the outlandish conspiracy theory “people who love our country.”
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But Trump appears to have outdone himself this week, publicly parroting multiple conspiracy theories and unsubstantiated claims in recent days. Here are 10 egregious examples:
At a Monday press conference, Trump defended Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old Trump supporter who fatally shot two people in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Trump defends Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old supporter of his who is charged with murdering two protesters in Kenosha pic.twitter.com/KdfkdTPRVG — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 31, 2020
The president said, without evidence, that Rittenhouse had acted in self-defence when he opened fire at a Black Lives Matter protest, killing two people and wounding another. The demonstration had been organised in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake, an unarmed Black man.
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Trump blamed the unrest on “left-wing political violence” and claimed Rittenhouse had been “trying to get away” from protesters who then “violently attacked him” when the shooting occurred.
Also on Monday, Trump touted several conspiracy theories in an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, including the claim that there had been a plane full of “thugs” who attempted to disrupt the GOP convention.
"We had somebody get on a plane from a certain city this weekend, and in the plane it was almost completely loaded with thugs, wearing these dark uniforms, black uniforms, with gear and this and that. They're on a plane."
Trump says this is "under investigation right now." pic.twitter.com/UjBBvsBaU3 — Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) September 1, 2020
Trump told Ingraham during the interview – which was broadcast in two parts on Monday and Tuesday – that “somebody” had seen the planeload of “thugs, wearing these dark uniforms... with gear and this and that” traveling from an unknown city to wreak havoc at the Republican National Convention, which was largely held remotely this year using pre-taped videos amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump has offered zero evidence to back up this wild claim.
Trump suggested that “some very stupid rich people” are bankrolling violent protesters involved in anti-racism demonstrations across the US.
The president has similarly not provided any evidence to support this conspiracy theory.
He also claimed that Portland, Oregon, where protests against racism and police violence have raged for three months, has been burning for decades
Portland fire officials were quick to push back against this claim.
“We are not on fire. We have not been on fire,” Lt. Rich Chatman, a spokesperson for Portland Fire & Rescue, said this week.
Trump told Ingraham that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden appears to be hopped up on some sort of drug.
the Biden Is Roiding thing rules pic.twitter.com/bOn7mcsQrv — Brendan Karet 🚮 (@bad_takes) September 2, 2020
“He’s on some kind of an enhancement, in my opinion,” Trump said, adding that both he and Biden should take a drug test to check.
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Back in 2016, Trump made similar allegations about his Democratic rival, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
Trump claimed that “people that are in the dark shadows” are controlling Biden.
“People that you’ve never heard of” are controlling Biden, the president told Ingraham, prompting her to question whether Trump was touting a “conspiracy theory.”
He continued to push a false claim that Covid-19 isn’t as deadly as health agencies have reported.
Trump retweeted a post on Sunday, since deleted, that erroneously claimed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had “quietly” updated its numbers “to admit that only 6%” of people who died of the coronavirus had “actually” died of the virus since “the other 94% had 2-3 other serious illnesses.”
Trump repeated this claim in his interview with Ingraham – despite its inaccuracy.
While the CDC has said that 6% of Covid-19 victims’ death certificates list the coronavirus as the sole of death, officials have made it clear that the listing of co-morbidities – including chronic conditions such as hypertension and diabetes – doesn’t mean the person did not die of Covid-19.
“A small number of people have Covid ascribed as the sole cause of death. It may be they had no co-morbidities or they were just not noted,” Dr Myron Cohen, director of the Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told Politifact of the data. “However, it is also clear that advanced age and several other underlying diseases lead to bad outcomes with Covid infections. The people dying were not going to die but for the acquisition of Covid.”
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Dr Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, also contradicted Trump’s claim.
Over the weekend, the President retweeted misinformation on the coronavirus death toll, claiming it's much lower due to comorbidities. Dr. Anthony Fauci responded this morning on ABC: “The numbers that you’ve been hearing, the 180,000-plus deaths, are real deaths from Covid-19." — Betsy Klein (@betsy_klein) September 1, 2020
Trump insisted he won the 2016 popular vote, which he lost by nearly 3 million ballots to Hillary Clinton.
The president told Ingraham that he actually won the popular vote “in a true sense” because the votes of a libertarian candidate should have counted for him.
Trump also suggested, without evidence, that there was “tremendous” voter fraud in California, New York and “other places.”
"I think I did win the popular vote, in a true sense. I think there was tremendous cheating" -- Trump claims falsely that he actually won the popular vote in 2016 pic.twitter.com/CUa7rv63Ow — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 2, 2020
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Trump repeated the claim that the November election will be “rigged” because of postal voting.
Trump has, in recent weeks, repeatedly sought to undermine public confidence in mail-in voting – even as he and first lady Melania Trump have requested mail-in ballots themselves – by pushing baseless conspiracy theories about potential voter fraud.
He did this again on Wednesday, retweeting an article published by the right-wing website The National Pulse about how Trump may appear to win by a landslide on Election Day because mail-in votes won’t all have been counted yet.
The Pulse article is based on an interview aired on “Axios on HBO.” According to Axios, far more Democrats are expected to vote by mail in November than Republicans. Since those votes may not be counted for days or weeks after Election Day, Trump may appear to have won at first – even if he ultimately loses the vote.
“Rigged Election?” Trump tweeted in response to this possibility.
On two consecutive days, he appeared to encourage voters to cast their votes twice.
For 2nd straight day, Trump suggests his supporters in some cases should vote twice, which is illegal: "Sign your mail-in ballot, okay? You sign it & you send it in & then you have to follow it. And if, on Election Day or early voting, it's not tabulated and counted, you go vote" pic.twitter.com/ZhrF2rdGPb — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 4, 2020
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While Trump warned, baselessly, of potential voter fraud on the one hand, he also appeared to encourage his supporters to commit voter fraud themselves by voting twice.
Speaking at a Pennsylvania rally on Thursday, Trump said mail-in ballots “are a disgrace” and urged voters to send in their absentee ballots before voting again in person.
“What you have to do is send in your early ballot and then go and make sure that ballot is tabulated or counted, and if it’s not counted, vote,” he said. “And then they have the job, if it comes in late, or if it’s not too late, they have the job of making sure that it’s not counted.”
The president had made a similar suggestion on Wednesday to supporters in North Carolina.