thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-08--Here's What It's Like When Your Baby Dies During A Pandemic

Courtesy of Alejandra Wilcox Ronan wasn't able to wear any clothes while he was alive, but his primary NICU nurse did manage to find a hat small enough to fit him. (Photo taken on May 21, 2020, at the Anschutz Medical Center near Denver.)
My son is coding again.
It’s the second time in 20 minutes, and by now, I know the drill. The doctor directs the team of nurses who surround my baby’s tiny body: They assemble like a regiment of soldiers, as she stands back and issues the orders. “One minute,” the doctor says, her voice sharp. My son’s primary night nurse starts counting off in fours, compressing again and again.
It’s like every scene on every medical soap I’ve ever binged on Netflix, only real life. My son’s life. My life.
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He is dying, and there is nothing I can do to stop it.
“Do you want me to call the chaplain?” a voice asks gently. A nurse with the neonatal intensive care unit ― someone I’ve never met before ― peers at me in a way that I’ll become familiar with. Her hand is on my shoulder. When I tell her no, that’s all right, she nods, like she understands that for me, there is no place for any kind of god here.
“Thirty more seconds,” the doctor calls. Somewhere, not too far away, I can hear babies crying and gurgling. My son hasn’t been able to do those things yet, because he’s been on a ventilator for almost his entire six weeks of life. Soon, he never will.
Before he dies, my son will code twice more. The doctor will keep him alive until my husband makes it to the NICU, and she will cry when she tells us there’s nothing more they can do.
“I’m sorry, guys, but this is happening,” she will say.
Even then — even when I am watching my son die — I will not believe it’s real until the nurses tell us we can take off our masks.
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“It’s okay,” a nurse will tell us as I try to blow my nose without removing the mask. My husband’s is already soaked through. “You don’t need them.”
And when I do what she says, I’ll realise that I’ve spent up to 24 masked hours a day in the NICU since my son was born 17 weeks prematurely. From the moment I first put my hand on his 1lb 5oz body, I’ve been trying to keep him — and all the other babies in the NICU — safe from Covid-19. Every single day for 42 days straight, I’ve gone through multiple security checkpoints to get to him, held my breath walking through the hospital hallways just in case. I’ve scrubbed my hands under hot water until the skin along my knuckles began to crack. I’ve worn a mask while sobbing, while pumping every three hours, while holding him, while pressing air kisses against his tiny forehead, while wringing my hands through his emergency heart surgery, while watching a team of doctors and nurses save his life, while sleeping in a recliner outside his cubicle for four nights straight.
Courtesy of Alejandra Wilcox The first time the author was able to hold Ronan, on April 30, exactly one week after he was born at the Anschutz Medical Center NICU.
Every time my baby has looked at his parents, from the first day he was finally able to open one eye, he’s seen us with those masks on. Now, while he looks at us for the last time, he finally sees our full faces. Our real faces.
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I hope he knew who we were.
If you have never had a micro preemie in a pandemic, let me tell you what it’s like.
You will be rapid-tested for Covid-19 after throwing up twice in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. You will be so exhausted and humiliated that you will sob like a small child. Once you go into labor, your partner will not be able to leave the hospital until you’re discharged. Not even to get something out of the car in the parking lot. When you and your baby almost die in labor, no other family or friends will be permitted to visit. Frankly, you’re lucky you’re even allowed a support person at all. Who are you to cry that your mom can’t come to hold your hand? There are people dying in the same building who haven’t seen their spouses or children in a month.
In the NICU, the director will tell you that parents have only recently been allowed to visit their babies amid the pandemic. He fought hard for it, he says. Babies need their parents. Your commute is up to an hour each way, but the director tells you that some parents are traveling from Wyoming or Kansas to this hospital near Denver. Some families can’t make that trip at all during normal times, let alone during a pandemic.
The hours you spend beside your baby’s hospital isolette will be long and lonely, but you make friends with the nurses, and the hospital security team eventually starts nodding you through the checkpoints. They ask how your baby is. They wish you luck.
You obsess that you haven’t washed your breast pump parts well enough. You obsess about hand sanitiser. You obsess about how hot the water from the sink is, if you used enough soap, if you scrubbed hard enough. If you must stop at a store on the way home, you obsess about what you touch. To all the people who can’t be bothered to wear a mask, you want to scream, “I am trying to keep my baby alive! Please just let me keep my baby alive!”
There is so much anger. Anger at the people in your community and the country who complain about how inconvenient and uncomfortable masks are when you no longer think twice about sleeping in one if you have to. Anger that people are still complaining about not being able to go to a restaurant or get their hair cut when your parents can’t meet their grandchild.
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Courtesy of Alejandra Wilcox Ronan's first handprint and footprint, made by a NICU nurse a few hours after he was born on April 23.
You see, a baby pulls the universe in, narrows the wide scope of your anxiety to one sharp, immediate focus. And when your baby is sick? You might as well be navigating life through a close-up filter, the rest of the world blurring behind you. At the start of the pandemic, you worried about isolation and missing your master’s graduation and completing your thesis on time. Now, you worry because your baby’s weight dips below one pound. You worry when you hold his tiny hand during each of his hourlong scans for brain bleeds. You worry when the attending doctor calls one morning to tell you that your baby will be having heart surgery in two hours.
To be clear, even without the pandemic, what happened to my family is a nightmare. There is no sugarcoating how exhausting or mind-numbingly horrifying the NICU can be. I was acutely aware that what was happening to me is the worst fear of any pregnant person: I had a perfectly normal, healthy pregnancy, until I didn’t. Then I had to make choices about whether to keep my baby alive. That is something no parent ever wants to even imagine, and Covid-19 didn’t change that.
But I quickly learned, as I navigated my own personal trauma in the midst of a global one, that this pandemic compounds suffering. It is awful to plan a funeral for an infant; it is worse when you must make a guest list and maintain social distancing. It is even worse when you think, I am lucky! I am lucky they relaxed some of the guidelines surrounding funeral parlours the same day my baby died!
Every time I think about my son’s short six weeks of life, I think about how lucky we were. Lucky I was able to be transferred to a Level IV NICU in time for the doctors to save our lives. Lucky my baby and I had access to excellent insurance. Lucky I lived in a state that allowed my husband to be with me. Lucky we were allowed to see our baby at all, lucky to be able to hold him, lucky we made it in time for his death. Lucky my parents were willing to risk their own health — despite being in an at-risk population — and travel so they could help us take care of our preschooler. Lucky to have had so many healthy relatives and friends surround us with emotional and financial support, even despite Covid-19. Lucky we could hold a funeral that did our son and his life a small amount of justice.
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It is insufficient to say my heart breaks for people who didn’t get all the things my family did. We are privileged, and I’m sensitive to that as I think about how to tell this part of my son’s story. Is it too soon? Is it too late?
I still don’t have the answer. All I know is that each time we share our stories with each other, we become less alone. My husband and I are not the only parents to have a baby during this pandemic. I am certain we are not the only parents to lose our baby, either. And we are absolutely not the only people who have had to navigate the black hole that is death and grief during a time when isolation is necessary and the idea of “normal” seems further and further away.
In the past, I’ve personally struggled with asking for help. I’ve also struggled to be honest when I’m not doing well. It’s more comfortable for me to skirt around the edges of pain than to peel it back — to say to my friends, my family, myself, what is abundantly obvious: This hurts.
But with my son, I felt none of that.
It has never been more clear to me how much we all need each other. We need to talk about the painful stuff, the things we fear we’re burdening people with. We need to reach out in the ways we can to stay connected. To stay human. To stay alive.
Courtesy of Alejandra Wilcox The author offering Ronan comfort before a medical procedure on May 8.
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I remember when we were barely a week into our son’s life.
My husband and I hadn’t slept consistently since the beginning of April. We are emotionally and physically worn, struggling to form sentences. Because we’re afraid to be too far away, we’re staying in a hotel across the street from the hospital. I’m recovering from the caesarean section, still taking prescription-strength ibuprofen around the clock. Every time we drive to the hospital, my husband drops me off at the front and I wait for him to park the car. Sometimes, while I sit there, I watch new families anxiously wrangle their newborns into cars and imagine what it will be like the day we get to leave here forever with our baby in our arms.
Over the past few days, we’ve started to talk about the thing neither of us had wanted to admit out loud: We feel unbearably alone. It has been months since we’ve spent time with adults besides each other, and we’ve grown used to that. But this feeling crystallised in the moment my best friend and her partner stood outside in the hospital parking lot the day after I gave birth, masked and crying, waving up at my hospital room so we would know they were with us: We just wanted a hug. God, we just wanted someone to hold us both and lie to us that it would all be okay.
Tonight, we’re lying quietly on the hotel bed, trying to relax. The volume on our phones is maxed out in case the NICU calls. My husband’s phone chimes and we both start, but it’s just a message from a friend with a YouTube link. “Watch this together,” she says.
It’s a ten-minute video mashup of messages from friends across the country, a supercut of love and support and hope. Hope for our baby. Hope for us. Every single person says they wish they could be with us. Every single person tells us they can’t wait to meet our son when he comes home. Every single person is reaching out the only way they can — virtually — and holding us close.
Together, my husband and I sob, curled together in a sterile room that smells vaguely of stale smoke, and we cling to each other. It will be okay, our friends tell us. We are here. We are here. We are here.
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This article first appeared on HuffPost Personal


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-08--Barefoot Walks, No Regrets. Elle Macpherson's Wellness Regime Is Very Elle Macpherson

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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.
It’s a sight you wouldn’t forget in a hurry: a barefoot Elle Macpherson striding towards you in a forest. But the former supermodel has adopted shoe-free strolls into her self-care routine, after reading about the concept of “grounding”.
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Advocates of the practice say walking barefoot reconnects the body to electrons on the Earth’s surface, aiding everything from sleep to circulation.
“If it’s not described correctly it can sound a bit hooky,” Macpherson tells HuffPost UK. “But it makes me feel energised from the earth and also, I discharge some of the EMFs [electric and magnetic fields] and toxins that I pick up along the way. It’s sort of like a clearing.”
The 56-year-old, who now lives in Florida but has maintained her Australian drawl, says swimming, meditation, journalling and breath work complete her self-care routine, alongside plenty of sleep, sunshine, “clean nutrients” and “clean water – lots of it!”
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Getty/HuffPost UK
Her shower routine is also elaborate: she brushes her body for five minutes before getting under the water, then switches the temperature from hot to cold every 60 seconds. It’s all about stimulating the lymphatic system, she says.
“It sounds like a lot, but it’s actually quite simple,” she insists of her multi-step routine. “You just have to introduce one thing per day or per week, even, and then before you know it, you have this beautiful array of tools that help keep us connected to ourselves and connected to nature.”
Macpherson speaks with authority on self care, yet her obsession with wellness is relatively new, she says. She founded her company, WelleCo, just six years ago, after having “a real crisis” at 50.
“I found myself sleep deprived, sugar dependent and adrenally stressed,” she says. “My digestion was not functioning well, my hair was dry, my nails were brittle and my sense of vitality was diminished. I didn’t understand why, because I’d been doing all the things that I’d always been doing.”
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During her modelling heyday – when she gained the nickname ‘The Body’ thanks to her record five cover appearances for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue – Macpherson admits she survived “without much food and on coffee”.
“In the 80s, wellness for us was just physical fitness. It was about calories in and energy out,” she recalls. ”We did the Jane Fonda videos, we were at the gym, we were living in high cut leotards with leggings and leg warmers. At the peak of my career I just wanted to be lean and strong and lithe.”
But hitting 50 was like “hitting a wall,” where the old tricks no longer worked and she realised a more “holistic” approach may be in order. She visited a doctor on London’s exclusive Harley Street, who told her she was deficient in key nutrients – and she pledged to learn more.
The exploration led to WelleCo, a brand known for its ‘Super Elixir’ – a powdered health supplement designed to be mixed into water, which has gained a cult-like following. The classic ‘green elixir’ formulation costs £62.50 and Macpherson says she takes it daily herself.
WelleCo
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WelleCo hasn’t been without its critics, with some labelling Macpherson a “peddler of wellness nonsense”. Her credentials aren’t helped by her friendship with Gwyneth Paltrow, queen of the Goop, or by Macpherson’s relationship with Andrew Wakefield, the discredited doctor who linked the MMR jab to autism and sparked the anti-vaxxer movement.
And the wellness industry, more generally, has received a fierce backlash in recent years, with Dr Jen Gunter – one of the most prominent critics – criticising brands of “faux-feminism”, preying on women’s insecurities for financial gain.
When asked what she thinks of the backlash, Macpherson, surprisingly, quotes Greek physician Hippocrates. “Hippocrates was the greatest doctor of all time and he said: ‘Let thy food be thy medicine, medicine be thy food.’ I don’t know how you can criticise that, I think it’s extremely important,” she says. “We based our whole business on that philosophy, to some extent.”
Bryan Bedder via Getty Images Elle Macpherson at the Goop Health Summit in 2019.
She insists her products are sustainably sourced and, she believes, good value for money: “What I love about WelleCo, is that one serving is cheaper than a Starbucks. If you want to make a choice between getting your greens and having a Starbucks, then I would go for the greens.”
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For women who can’t afford the upfront cost of WelleCo’s products, she does concede: “The basic things for wellness come from mother nature and are free: sunshine, fresh air, sleep, laughter, love, plenty of clean water. The next step is if you can afford organic food, great.”
Another free wellness hack is learning to breathe with intention, she says, which she does throughout the day to ease tension before it builds up.
“I find myself running fast, I take time, even if it’s a minute or two, to do some box breaths – four breaths in, hold my breath, four breaths out – and just get connected with my heart,” she says. “I do that throughout the day so the challenges don’t build up, because I’m dealing with them in very practical ways.”
Macpherson doesn’t believe in regret, so she wouldn’t change the fast-paced lifestyle of her twenties and thirties to encompass her current wellness rituals. Her message to readers, too, is not to beat yourself up if you haven’t discovered what works for you just yet.
“I feel like we learn things as we’re ready to lean them along the way. Life is about adaptation and evolution and taking those learning experiences and applying them to the next opportunity,” she says.
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“Connecting to the heart is extremely important, listening to your inner sense, your inner urges. Making decisions based on your intuition. I think I did that naturally when I was growing up, but I do it consciously today.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-08--7 Little Ways To Feel A Sense Of Normality Right Now

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Let’s just say what we all know is true: things are not “normal” right now and things won’t look remotely “normal” for months to come. The coronavirus pandemic shows no signs of slowing down as we inch toward a cold winter.
Normal days are something that many took for granted before all of this. Lindsey McKernan, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences professor at Tennessee’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said the constants in our world create a rhythm for our day and ultimately build normalcy around us. And right now, the constants that we once knew are gone.
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“When things are normal ... you don’t have to put as much cognitive energy into anticipating what’s next because it’s the rhythm of the day,” McKernan said. “We’re having to put so much additional cognitive effort into what’s going on throughout the day.”
This additional cognitive effort contributes to increased stress levels across society, McKernan said. Establishing a sense of normalcy can help reduce the cognitive burden of the day and allow us to feel more in control of our own days.
But how exactly can we do that right now? Below, experts offer some of their best advice for creating a sense of normalcy as we continue through this far from normal time.
1. Establish a routine for yourself.
“When we’re in a period of heightened stress, we are grounded by routine,” McKernan said.
That’s why, in “regular times,” you might feel off if you go to bed later than usual or if you skip your weekend run. This year has been one huge version of that. There are many changes altering our normal routines.
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McKernan said fighting those limitations that are now part of our day-to-day lives only adds to the struggle. Instead, we should embrace our current reality so we can appropriately respond and plan.
“The first thing when thinking about establishing a routine right now is redefining what that means and accepting that our sense of normal isn’t necessarily where we want it to be ― and that’s okay. We have to work to intentionally re-establish a sense of routine,” she said.
McKernan recommended looking at four major things in order to adjust your routine: how you’re sleeping, how you’re eating, if you’re moving and to what extent you are able to socialise. Which of those areas could use some extra attention? (Maybe it’s all of them, which is understandable.) Start building your routine around those pillars.
That could look like going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. You may also want to try meal prepping as if you still needed to bring food into the office for lunch during the week. Maybe it’s calling your friend every Friday afternoon while you’re on a walk, or planning a cocktail night every weekend with your roommate. Whatever the case may be, build in small habits you can come to expect and make them something you can execute regularly.
AleksandarNakic via Getty Images
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2. Take part in rewarding activities.
In the early days of the pandemic, many of us were all about “bettering ourselves” ― whether that meant learning a new language or learning how to make sourdough. And while those activities were fun in the beginning, the practice of bread-baking and language-learning fizzled out for most. Now, we’re just trying to get through each day without losing it.
But there is something to taking on new activities as a way to create some normalcy ― as long as you’re genuinely connected to them, McKernan said.
“When you choose activities that connect to things that you value in your life, that actually gives you a sense of reward and meaning,” she said, adding that these activities could be attending a virtual spiritual service, online volunteering, cooking, reading or knitting. Choose something that gets you excited or pulls you away from your stress.
“We might not be able to capture all activities in the way that we’re used to ― for example, if you value fitness and you’re used to going to a hot yoga studio, that might not be safe to do right now,” McKernan said. “So, how can you recapture a little bit of that exercise in your life and in your day?”
These activities also lift your mood, which can be crucial as we move into winter, a time when many are faced with lower mood.
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“One of the things that can happen when our mood starts to get low is that we lose the motivation to do things. And, a lot of the time, we feel like we need to magically have the motivation back in order to re-engage in things,” McKernan said. “But it can work in the opposite way, too, where if you choose ... activities that are meaningful, you start to build back your sense of motivation and reward.”
3. Find creative ways to connect with loved ones.
A lot of the social aspects of our lives have been drastically altered in order to protect one another from the virus. McLean Pollock, assistant professor of psychiatry at Duke University in North Carolina, noted that it’s hard to navigate how to socialise and feel close to loved ones without doing the things we’re used to, like handshaking, hugging and seeing people in person.
Pollock said that finding ways to connect with others is crucial in the search for normalcy. It will be hard to feel normal if one of our most basic needs ― social connection ― goes unmet throughout the remainder of this pandemic.
“This pandemic has led to some isolation. We can bridge that by making connections with other people because that is how we’re getting through this, together, even though it’s in a different way of being together,” she added.
But by now we’re used to scheduling Zoom calls and they can feel a little stale. Janine Dutcher, a research scientist at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon University, suggested finding more unique ways to connect with people. This encourages us to be creative, which can be rewarding in itself.
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“I think that creativity can often be very difficult to engage in but it can be really rewarding too, because you found a way to beat the system, so to speak, and do something really fun and interesting,” she said.
MilosBataveljic via Getty Images
4. Decorate your home for Christmas.
While we can’t control the whole world, we can control our own microcosm, specifically our own home, Pollack said.
Decorating your home for seasonal celebrations with either bought items or handmade décor can help create a mile-marker for time within your own life.
“Our days are bleeding into one another because we don’t have variation, so having something that can distinguish this time as different from other times can be helpful in creating that sense of normality and creating memories,” Pollock said.
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5. Plan things for the future.
Having something to look forward to adds excitement to our days. And while our plans may have to look different for a while, we still can make them — whether that means a virtual happy hour or a fun night at home with your family.
“When you have something to look forward to, each day passes a little bit faster, particularly as you get closer to it ― it’s one of those funny things about time perception. Looking forward to anything, even if it’s really simple, is very, very powerful,” Dutcher said.
Of course, this doesn’t give anyone permission to plan something that puts people at risk for contracting the virus.
“If you’re at home with family, you can plan for a fun movie night where you watch a movie, pop some popcorn and have some candy,” Dutcher suggested. She also added that, while spontaneous conversations with friends and family are nice, planned phone dates also hold their own type of power when it comes to generating some normalcy.
6. Accept that this is not a normal time.
Nothing about this period in our lives is regular. Our lives have been upended in many different ways and we are faced with uncertainty nearly every day.
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“There is no magical solution, part of feeling a sense of normalcy is accepting that this is not normal and that these are really difficult and stressful times,” Pollock said. “Recognise that that’s the context of trying to create some normalcy, first of all.” (In other words, cut yourself some slack.)
She added that we are all facing different difficulties as the pandemic, the election and the rest of the year unfolds and we need to adjust our normality to fit our own situation.
7. If you’re still struggling, consider talking to a therapist.
Everyone’s mental health has been put through the wringer this year, and things like routine setting, socialising and planning activities may not be enough to feel “normal” ― and that is OK.
“If people are really struggling, it’s always worth reaching out to a professional to make sure that they are getting the care and support that they need,” Dutcher said.
Therapy can help you navigate our current reality and give you the coping skills to find a sense of normalcy among the chaos.
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If the uncertainty is stressing you out to the point where it has been severely affecting your daily life, you don’t have to manage it alone. You’re also not the only one who feels this way.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-08--I'm A Celebrity 2020 Line-Up Revealed – Here's Who's Confirmed For The Castle

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With only a week to go, the line-up for the upcoming series of I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! has been revealed.
Sir Mo Farah, Vernon Kay and Victoria Derbyshire are among the 10 stars who will be taking part in the revamped edition of the ITV reality show when it kicks off next Sunday night.
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The contestants were confirmed as part of a special highlights show hosted by Ant and Dec looking back at the past 19 series of I’m A Celebrity.
Viewers were given a taster of what to expect as the show relocates from the Australian jungle to a creepy castle in the Welsh countryside due to the pandemic.
This year's I'm A Celebrity line-up ITV
Take a look at all the stars confirmed for the show below...
Sir Mo Farah
SIPA USA/PA Images
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Age: 37
Known for: British long-distance runner and the most successful British track athlete in modern Olympic history.
Victoria Derbyshire
David M. Benett via Getty Images
Age: 52
Known for: BBC journalist and presenter
Vernon Kay
PA
Age: 46
Known for: TV and radio presenter
Beverley Callard
EMPICS Entertainment
Age: 63
Known for: Playing Liz McDonald on Coronation Street
Shane Richie
SIPA USA/PA Images
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Age: 56
Known for: Presenter and actor who played EastEnders’ Alfie Moon.
Jessica Plummer
Karwai Tang via Getty Images
Age: 28
Known for: Singer and actor, who played EastEnders’ Chantelle Atkins.
AJ Pritchard
Dave J Hogan via Getty Images
Age: 26
Known for: Former Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer
Hollie Arnold
Francois Nel via Getty Images
Age: 26
Known for: Paralympic athlete who competes in the javelin and won her first Paralympic gold at the Rio 2016 games.
Giovanna Fletcher
SOPA Images via Getty Images
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Age: 35
Known for: Parenting author, podcaster and vlogger
Jordan North
Dave J Hogan via Getty Images
Age: 30
Known for: Radio 1 DJ
Many of the names on the line-up had been leaked prior to the official announcement, after they were spotted at what was thought to be a photo-shoot for the new series of I’m A Celebrity.
However, West End star Ruthie Henshall and opera singer Russell Watson are missing from the starting line-up, suggesting they could enter later into the series.
The 10 confirmed stars will now be preparing to set up camp at Gwrych Castle in the Wales, a site which many have even claimed is haunted.
Due to the change of location, this year will see them competing to be crowned King or Queen Of The Castle, rather than the Jungle, while it is expected they will be taking part in all the usual Bushtucker Trials.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-08--Strictly Come Dancing: Jason Bell Is Eliminated After Movie Week Performance

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Warning: This article contains spoilers for the latest Strictly Come Dancing results show.
Jason Bell has become the second star to be eliminated from the current series of Strictly Come Dancing.
The former NFL player’s exit probably won’t come as a shock to too many fans, after he wound up at the bottom of the leaderboard in Saturday night’s Movie Week special.
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He and partner Luba Mushtuk landed just 12 points of a possible 30 for their Paso Doble, inspired by Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
In Sunday night’s results show, it was revealed that the pair were in the dance-off alongside Nicola Adams and Katya Jones, who had been second from bottom the previous night.
Nicola Adams and Jason Bell went up against one another in this week's dance-off BBC/Guy Levy
After each couple danced again, all three judges opted to save Nicola, meaning it was Jason who had to say goodbye.
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He told presenter Tess Daly: “This was an opportunity of a lifetime. I had so much fun, thank you Luba. You have worked so hard with me, you’re a great friend for life and I appreciate all that you’ve done, I really do.
“I’ve had such a good time here. Everybody is wonderful. I mean really this is amazing – this is a brilliant place! This is the best group of people ever, this is amazing.”
Jason Bell and Luba Mushtuk BBC/Guy Levy
Luba told Jason: “You really bring the joy to my life, and I am so honoured and proud to be partnered with you. I now have a friend for life.
“I just want to say, to be actually able to do this show…shout out to everyone who makes so many sacrifices to make this happen. It is such an honour to be here and I’m very proud of you.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-08--Why Boris Johnson And Joe Biden Are Already Off To Rocky Start

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Out with the old, in with the new – America has elected a new president to lead the country for the next four years.
But that doesn’t meant that Joe Biden and Boris Johnson are starting off on a clean slate. Far from it.
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Despite the fact Biden and Johnson have never actually met, the pair already have a pretty rocky history. Here’s what you need to know.
Biden once called Boris a ‘clone’ of Trump
Biden called Johnson a "physical and emotional clone" of Trump. PA Wire/PA Images
Before Biden had even been chosen as the Democratic nominee for the presidential race, he was pretty vocal about his thoughts on Johnson.
Back in December 2019 – when Johnson was fighting his own election battle – Biden accused him of being a “physical and emotional clone” of Donald Trump.
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Telling reporters that the Labour Party had moved too far to the left to be able to win the general election, he said: “You’re also going to see people saying, my god, Boris Johnson, who is kind of a physical and emotional clone of the president, is able to win”.
Biden’s team are unhappy about the PM’s comments on Obama
Before he was the president-elect, Biden was the vice-president of the US, serving under Barack Obama.
So Johnson’s controversial comments about Biden’s former boss have reportedly gone down like a cup of cold sick with Team Biden.
In April 2016, Johnson – who has a history of making racist comments –suggested that Obama’s “part-Kenyan heritage” meant he had an “ancestral dislike of the British empire” that had led him to remove a bust of Winston Churchill from the Oval Office. (The bust bust-up is more complicated that Johnson made it sound.)
His comments came as Obama intervened in the Brexit referendum debate, during which Johnson led the Leave campaign, to urge the UK to “stick together” with the EU.
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On Sunday, senator Chris Coons – who is tipped to become secretary of state when Biden takes office – said the PM’s comments about Obama were “not well received”.
#Marr asks Democrat Senator and close friend of Joe Biden, Chris Coons, how the President-elect’s camp views PM Boris Johnson#Election2020 https://t.co/hNrSK2ckVq pic.twitter.com/Mgo7paRE7B — BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) November 8, 2020
Asked about Johnson’s comments on BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, Coons said: “That certainly wasn’t one that was well received on my part.”
However, he signalled that Biden and his team are keen to move on – and he had a long list of things to praise the PM for.
Coons said: “But frankly rather than re-litigating or revisiting comments that may have been made days or years ago, I think as we reimagine our engagement with our vital allies around the world, it’s important in a post-Trump era to have an open mind about how we can work together, especially with nations as important to the United States as the United Kingdom.”
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Biden and Johnson don’t exactly see eye-to-eye when it comes to Brexit
There's already beef between Johnson and Biden over Brexit. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Brexit is likely to be a rocky topic between Biden and Johnson.
While Trump was a big fan of Brexit, calling it a “good thing” in the wake of the EU referendum and once referring to himself as “Mr Brexit”, Biden is reportedly far more lukewarm – and looking to build the US’ relationship with the European Union.
Despite the so-called “special-relationship” between the US and the UK, there has been speculation that Berlin – rather than London – could become Biden’s main focus in Europe after Brexit.
But there has already been beef between Biden and Number 10 over Brexit because Johnson’s government admitted it planned to break the law over Britain’s departure from the EU.
The PM wants to unpick key sections of Britain’s Withdrawal Agreement with the European Union on trade in Northern Ireland in order to give UK ministers key powers to decide when EU rules apply to Northern Ireland.
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But Biden, who has Irish roots, said the move could undermine the Good Friday Agreement.
Back in September, he tweeted: “We can’t allow the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland to become a casualty of Brexit.
“Any trade deal between the US and UK must be contingent upon respect for the Agreement and preventing the return of a hard border. Period.”
We can’t allow the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland to become a casualty of Brexit.
Any trade deal between the U.S. and U.K. must be contingent upon respect for the Agreement and preventing the return of a hard border. Period. https://t.co/Ecu9jPrcHL — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 16, 2020
Number 10 was then accused of suggesting that Biden didn’t fully grasp the situation after a spokesperson said the UK government would work to make sure its position on the agreement was “understood”.
Despite Biden’s allies reinforcing the future president’s worries about the Good Friday Agreement on Sunday, Number 10 has made it clear it plans to push on with changes to the internal markets bill.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-08--PM Warned Law-Breaking Brexit Plan Will Damage Relations With Biden

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Boris Johnson risks paying a “terrible price” in his early relationship with Joe Biden if he pushes ahead with his law-breaking Brexit plans on Monday, Labour has warned.
Downing Street sources have signalled that the prime minister is not going to offer concessions on the controversial proposals in his internal market bill, despite facing an embarrassing defeat when peers vote on the measures on Monday.
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Johnson’s plans, which would give ministers the power to breach the PM’s own withdrawal agreement with the EU, risk angering the US president-elect who is said to have “significant concerns” about the bill’s impact on peace in Northern Ireland.
With the Lords almost certain to inflict a large defeat on the government to remove the offending clauses from the bill, the PM faces the prospect of having to actively reinsert the controversial plans when the legislation returns to the Commons in upcoming weeks, likely in defiance of Biden.
IN DETAIL Here’s WTF Is Going On In The Latest Big Brexit Row
Reports that Johnson could simply admit defeat and leave the clauses out of the bill following a Lords defeat were also dismissed by a No.10 source, who said the government had been “clear why they are needed”.
Shadow attorney general Lord Falconer told HuffPost UK it was not too late to remove the offending parts of the bill, warning Johnson he risks damaging the country’s reputation as Biden prepares to take office.
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Falconer is leading the rebellion against the plans alongside ex-Tory leader Lord Michael Howard and Lord Judge, a former Lord Chief Justice.
He said: “We always said the UK would pay a terrible price of breaking with the rule of law, and now, almost immediately after we can see that price being paid with the government’s actions being called out by the United States government.
“It is not too late for the government to change course, and remove these offending clauses in this bill.
“We need to get back on the side of the law before even more damage to our country’s reputation is done."
The Irish border is one of the most highly sensitive issues in Brexit talks PA
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The row centres on the special status created in the Brexit withdrawal agreement for Northern Ireland, which will follow EU rules in some areas while the rest of the UK will not, in order to maintain an invisible border with the Republic of Ireland.
This would also create a need for checks on goods travelling between Northern Ireland and the UK mainland, which Johnson has previously opposed.
In defiance of this arrangement, the internal market bill would give ministers the power to disapply the need for exit summary declarations (as required under EU customs code) for goods moving between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
It would also give ministers the power to decide what constitutes state subsidies for businesses in Northern Ireland, which also goes against the agreement Johnson signed with the EU.
On Sunday, Biden ally Chris Coons said the president-elect had “significant concerns” about how Johnson’s proposals could impact the Good Friday Agreement for peace in Northern Ireland, which the withdrawal agreement was designed to protect.
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#Marr asks Democrat Senator and close friend of Joe Biden, Chris Coons, how the President-elect’s camp views PM Boris Johnson#Election2020 https://t.co/hNrSK2ckVq pic.twitter.com/Mgo7paRE7B — BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) November 8, 2020
But a No.10 source made clear the UK would not back down on the plans.
They said: “We’ve been very clear about the purpose and have repeatedly set out our specific reasons for introducing the measures related to the Northern Ireland protocol in the UK internal market bill.
“We need to create a legal safety net to protect the integrity of the UK’s internal market, to ensure ministers can always deliver on their obligations to Northern Ireland and protect the gains from the peace process.”
On Sunday, Johnson also made clear the bill would proceed.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-08--Don't Call Me A Bad Feminist For Wanting To Read About Kamala Harris' Makeup

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Well, that was nice, wasn’t it? For about 12 hours, people on the internet were happy.
The election of Joe Biden (or perhaps more accurately, the ousting of Donald Trump) created a sort of internet snow day, where we were all able to enjoy a little break from the cynicism and infighting while we shared videos of New York echoing with cheers and jokes about the Four Seasons Garden Centre. But of course, it wasn’t to last.
Yesterday, the Telegraph ran a piece titled “Why Kamala Harris is the modern beauty icon the world needs”. It’s a perfectly pleasant read, looking into how her relationship with makeup is different from Hillary Clinton’s and Theresa May’s, and noting that she favours a glossier lip which is traditionally regarded as less “professional” than a matte one.
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This morning the Women’s Equality Party – a party I’ve previously voted for – shared said article writing: “First woman of colour to make Vice President and the Telegraph gives the story to its beauty editor. Go figure.”
To start with, let’s be very clear. The Telegraph didn’t “give” the story to their beauty editor. They did not decide that the singular way they would be reporting the appointment of the first woman of colour (or woman full stop) to the Vice Presidency, was going to be a piece about her lipstick.
They ran multiple other stories about her career, her ethnicity, her background and her talent. And alongside all those other pieces, they ran a piece about her makeup. Which, if you believe the critics, was sexist.
I am a card carrying, professional feminist. I get cross about the patriarchy at least three times a day. But I am sick to the back teeth of this poisonous myth that fashion and beauty are sexist, when in reality they are forms of self-expression as valid as any other.
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Back in 2016, I cried over a deep dive into the outfit Hillary Clinton wore to accept the Democratic nomination for president. I learned that she, like Shirley Chisholm (the first African American woman ever to be elected to Congress) had chosen white, the traditional colour of suffrage.
Hillary Clinton celebrates after accepting the presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention in 2016. The Washington Post via Getty Images
Geraldine Ferraro, a previous unsuccessful female candidate for presidency, had done the same. Through her sartorial choices, Clinton was carving a link with the women who came before her. For these women, clothing and makeup were a form of language – semiotics. It’s the only form of expression where, for once, women have a better variety of choices.
And yet still, writing about a woman’s makeup and fashion choices is regarded as frivolous and silly. Why? Because they are forms of artistry traditionally associated with women.
Just as embroidery has traditionally been a less valued form of art because it was predominantly practiced by women, fashion and beauty have long been regarded as fluffy and meaningless, because they largely belong to women.
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Makeup and fashion are two industries where female talent shines, where women are able to thrive and to create. And on a smaller level, it’s a form of artistry that we can enjoy every day. For those of us who love makeup, taking 15 minutes to apply a glittery eyeshadow to our lids, or perfectly line our lips, is an act of meditation. It’s a snatched window in a day where we can do something creative for our own enjoyment.
“You’re not a lesser woman, or a lesser feminist, if you see power in a perfect liquid eye liner.”
When I see people complaining that anyone would take notice of a politician’s clothes or makeup, I can’t help thinking they’re displaying internalised misogyny.
Of course it would be sexist to conflate Harris’s worth with her physical appearance. It would be wildly inappropriate to criticise her for looking “tired” in photographs, or wearing an “unflattering” outfit. If a journalist were suggesting that she needed to wear “more” makeup, or “better” makeup in order to do her job, I would be right there with the flaming torch and the pitchfork.
But there is absolutely nothing wrong with a person whose focus is beauty, writing about the makeup choices of the woman we’re most interested in right now.
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You’re not a lesser woman, or a lesser feminist, if you see power in a perfect liquid eye liner, or you punched the air when Harris delivered the good news to Joe Biden wearing what I’m pretty sure were Lululemon yoga pants.
Pretending that fashion and beauty doesn’t exist doesn’t do anything to improve the expectation for a woman to look a certain way – it just penalises us for caring about one of the few industries where we have historically been able to take the helm.
Kamala Harris’s appointment is a great and glorious day for women. And noticing that she’s got really nice eyeshadow does absolutely nothing to degrade that fact.
Rebecca Reid is an author and freelance journalist.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-08--Stripped-Back Remembrance Sunday Commemorations Go Ahead Amid England's Coronavirus Lockdown

Queen Elizabeth II during the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph, in Whitehall, London. PA
The Queen has led stripped-back Remembrance Sunday commemorations amid England’s second coronavirus lockdown.
Usually, thousands of veterans, servicemen and women and bystanders gather at the Cenotaph war memorial in London’s Whitehall to mark the event.
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But lockdown rules – which came into force on Thursday – meant that the service was closed off to the public, with just a select group of veterans invited.
The Queen, Prince Charles, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William and Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, all attended the event.
With the Queen watching on from a government building, Prince Charles laid a wreath on the Cenotaph on her behalf. The Queen had penned a note reading: “In memory of the glorious dead”.
The Prince of Wales lays a wreath during the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph, in Whitehall, London. PA
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PM Boris Johnson and Labour leader Keir Starmer also laid poppy wreaths at the service, which was attended by former prime ministers Theresa May, Tony Blair and John Major.
Away from Whitehall, people marked two minutes of silence at 11am on their front doorsteps and put poppies in their windows, with many local events reduced to adhere to lockdown rules.
Defence secretary Ben Wallace said with growing Covid infection rates it was important the “balance” was “right”.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson followed by Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer during the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph, in Whitehall, London. PA
Speaking about the importance of the day, he added: “If we don’t learn from our history we are always destined to repeat the failures in the future.
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“Fundamentally remembering why people gave their lives to this country, to our values, and to helping those around the world who couldn’t help themselves – that’s important to never forget.
“Right now, as we speak, thousands of men and women of the Armed Forces are helping the country’s resilience fight Covid, they are in Liverpool in their thousands – that’s important for us to remember the troops are our backbone.
“These are the people that give Britain its strength, its security and are acting in all our interests. So, today is an opportunity to mark the contribution to Covid, but also remember all those that have gone before making sure Britain is a safe and stable country whose values are wanted all around the world.”
On Sunday, General Sir Nick Carter – the UK’s most senior military commander – warned that the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic has made the prospect of World War Three “a risk”.
The Chief of the Defence Staff told Sky News that Britain and the rest of the world would need to “learn” from history and the international missteps that led to the previous world wars in the last century given the uncertainties caused by Covid-19.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-09--Vaccine Means Life Could Return To Normal By Spring, Says Government Adviser

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Life could return to normal by Spring, a leading scientist who advises the government has said, following the announcement from Pfizer that its coronavirus vaccine is more than 90% effective in preventing the disease.
Professor Sir John Bell, Regius professor of medicine at Oxford University, said it was a “major step” in the fight against the pandemic.
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"Yes, yes, yes" said the Professor.
World at One presenter @Sarah_Montague reacts to the positive early results of one of the big coronavirus vaccine trials. pic.twitter.com/Gw56tkLTUL — BBC Radio 4 (@BBCRadio4) November 9, 2020
Asked by BBC Radio 4′s World at One programme if it meant life in the UK could return to normal by Spring, he said: “Yes. Yes. Yes. I am probably the first guy to say that. But I will say that with some confidence.”
Bell, the government’s life science adviser who also sits on the UK’s vaccine task force, said there was “no other really obvious way” to for society to get “on top” of Covid-19.
“I am really delighted with this result,” he said. “It shows you can make a vaccine against this little critter.”
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He added that while people were getting used to “overstatements” about optimistic outcomes, “this one is pretty close to the mark” as 90% effectiveness was an “amazing level”.
“I can’t see any reason now why you shouldn’t have a handful of good vaccines available for this disease,” he said.
Bell noted several diseases, including HIV and Malaria, still do not have a vaccine.
Dr Albert Bourla, Pfizer chairman and chief executive, said: “Today is a great day for science and humanity.”
Downing Street said the UK will have procured 10 million doses by the end of the year to be given out if it is approved. The UK has secured 40 million doses in total of the vaccine.
Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said: “The results are promising and while we are optimistic of a breakthrough, we must remember there are no guarantees.”
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The prime minister will hold a press conference at 5pm on Monday afternoon.
Pfizer and BioNTech expect to be able to produce up to 50 million vaccine doses globally in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021.
The vaccine has been tested on 43,500 people in six countries and no safety concerns have been raised.
Concerns have been raised about the logistical challenges associated with the vaccine, with the BBC reporting that it needs to be kept in ultra-cold storage at below -80C, while the WSJ said it was around -70C.
But Bell said wile distribution would be “challenging” he was confident governments would “solve these things if we have to”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-09--DOTUS: The Bidens' Dogs Champ and Major Debut Their Own Twitter Account

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Saturday’s victory is giving President-elect Joe Biden’s dogs a whole new leash on life. On Sunday, they debuted their very own fetching Twitter account.
German shepherds Champ and Major Biden will share a single account, but neither is whining about it.
“We are the First Dogs of the USA, Champ and Major Biden,” their Twitter profile said. “You can call us #DOTUS. We love nom noms, snuggles and we can’t wait to explore the WH!”
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Early tweets feature to-die-for photos and awful dog puns, like “pawsidential,” “pawsitive” and “pawblic.” (The pooches refer to Joe Biden as “Dad.”) They also gave a woof-out to supportive “doggos” that stood by the humans who fought for Biden (Beto O’Rourke and senator Elizabeth Warren.
As of Sunday night, the dogs had already attracted nearly 64,000 followers. They mostly followed politicians and media sites.
No surprise, countless pets introduced themselves in tweets and congratulated the whole family on the big victory:
🐾 Hello America! Hello world! It’s us, Champ and Major. We are the Bidens’ family puppers and First Dogs Elect(s) of USA. We want to thank you all for your suppawrt by sharing our pawsidential adventures here! Woof! Woof! 🐶🇺🇸🐕 pic.twitter.com/J46aiXKVFW — Champ & Major Biden 🇺🇸 (@First_Dogs_USA) November 8, 2020
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🐾 We’re so proud of our dad @JoeBiden, the first ever presidential candidate to receive 75 million votes. But Major will be setting a record of his own as he's the first ever rescue pupper to live in the WH. We’re gonna play all day & receive countless treats! #DOTUS #FirstDogs pic.twitter.com/o1Hsr7nZ8e — Champ & Major Biden 🇺🇸 (@First_Dogs_USA) November 9, 2020
🐾 We woof like to thank our suppawrters, the doggos that stood by their hoomans as they ran for office and then endorsed our dad: @First_Dog_USA, @firstdogsSB, @FirstDogBailey and all the other puppers who helped us win this race. We love you! #FirstDogsCoalition #UnitedWeWoof pic.twitter.com/1WUkJCDN5E — Champ & Major Biden 🇺🇸 (@First_Dogs_USA) November 8, 2020
🐾 We love cats! Turtles too! We’re best friends with the O’Rourke family cat Silver, as well as their turtle Gus and of course, their doggo Artemis @First_Dog_USA. We’re very inclusive. All pets are welcome in our #PetCoalition pic.twitter.com/bwpKMaCaKD — Champ & Major Biden 🇺🇸 (@First_Dogs_USA) November 8, 2020
Congratulations Champ and Major! We are Maple, Hudson, and Brooklyn and are rescue dogs too. We support you and thank you for representing us! @MSzobota pic.twitter.com/5k2Qb3QKAF — Erik Szobota (@ErikSzobota) November 9, 2020
Hi Champ & Major! I’m Baxter, I’m a big fan, & so excited to have a rescue dog like me in the White House! #dogsforbiden #AdoptDontShop pic.twitter.com/TSdpPs7uWC — Kate Hamill (@katerone) November 8, 2020
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We’re Dharma and Sam!! We have been celebrating with our humans all weekend!! 🥳 pic.twitter.com/dS7prtnbOS — Dharma and Sam 🐾🐾 (@dharmaandsam) November 8, 2020
Oh heck yeah! Had to follow you!
Greetings from Bellatrix & Gavin! pic.twitter.com/qSz3cTKsUI — Marifran Smith 🦇🎃🦇 (@msmiih) November 8, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-09--Trump-Supporting Televangelist Kenneth Copeland Has The Weirdest Meltdown Over Biden Victory

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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-09--Victoria Derbyshire Discusses How Beating Breast Cancer Inspired Her To Take On I'm A Celebrity

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Victoria Derbyshire has said that beating breast cancer inspired her to take on the challenge of I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!.
The BBC broadcaster was unveiled as one of the 10 celebrities competing on the ITV reality show on Sunday night, and has opened up about why she said yes.
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Victoria, who announced in August 2015 that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and would be having a mastectomy, said: “This is a mad thrill adventure that I want to take part in. Because of cancer I know, more than lots of people, life is short.
Victoria Derbyshire ITV
“I am now saying ‘yes’ to stuff I wouldn’t have done previously. And if I don’t do my boys proud, I will never live it down.”
She continued: “They really, really want me to do it and they have kept it a secret for months now because they want me to do it so much.
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“They do think it is cool I am doing it because this is their programme of the year.
“My husband is also so happy I am doing it. He thinks I will love it, throw myself into it and he said if it makes me happy, he is happy. They are on the journey with me.”
During her cancer treatment, Victoria detailed her experiences with chemotherapy, radiotherapy and her mastectomy in a series of Facebook videos that were viewed by more than 17 million people.
This year's I'm A Celebrity campmates ITV
ITV recently confirmed that one of the contestants on the line-up was still in self-isolation, having recently tested positive for coronavirus.
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This year, the show is relocating from the Australian jungle to a creepy castle in the Welsh countryside due to the pandemic.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-09--11 Strictly Come Dancing Performances That Were Almost As Surreal As Max George's Simpsons Routine

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It might be known as one of the cosiest shows on TV that’s perfect for comfort viewing, but over the years Strictly Come Dancing have aired several routines that have verged on the surreal.
And while Strictly might be into its 18th year, it proved over the weekend that it still has the capacity to catch viewers off guard, as proved with Max George and Dianne Buswell’s Couple’s Choice routine.
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The performance, set to the theme tune to The Simpsons, sparked plenty of conversation online, dividing viewers who couldn’t decide whether they loved it or couldn’t get over its more bizarre moments.
Inspired by this, we’re looking back at some of Strictly’s most surreal performances ever, beginning with the one that sparked so much conversation...
Max George and Dianne Buswell (2020)
Unquestionably one of the most surreal moments in Strictly history, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly which bit of Max George and Dianne Buswell’s routine is the most alarming.
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The bit where they hula out of some inflatable doughnuts is definitely up there, as is the part where Dianne’s Marge pushes Max’s Homer to the floor via a backwards roll (landing with a bit of a thud, no less). But let’s be honest… nothing is going to beat that leg saxophone, is it?
Richard Coles and Dianne Buswell (2017)
Dianne’s Strictly journey actually began with a very surreal first step, though.
Her first ever routine on the show was this one, which begins with Reverend Richard Coles descending from the ceiling on top of a cloud, while strumming a fake harp.
Shirley Ballas was impressed, awarding the pair a six for their efforts, but Craig Revel Horwood was less enthused, dusting off his two paddle for the occasion.
Ashley Roberts and Pasha Kovalev (2018)
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We have so many questions. Why is this trolls-themed routine set to Witch Doctor? Why is Ashley wearing a pink bodysuit but no pink face paint? Whose idea was the voice distortion?
Still, we have to admit it was a great Charleston.
Colin Jackson and Erin Boag (2005)
By the time the Strictly final rolled around in 2005, the Glitterball Trophy was pretty much Colin Jackson’s for the taking. That is, until it came to the Showdances.
This *ahem* unusual puppet-based routine was far from a hit with the judges, with cricketer Darren Gough going on to win the Strictly title that year.
Fingers crossed for Colin that his upcoming stint on Dancing On Ice has a happier ending.
Jake Wood and Janette Manrara (2014)
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Sometimes it’s not so much the set-up of a Strictly performance that makes it surreal, but rather the thought that, in this case, yes, you actually are watching Max Branning twerking to Mambo No. 5 in the name of Saturday night entertainment.
See also: Judge Rinder leaping out from behind the bench to perform an open-shirted Cha Cha Cha to Duffy’s Mercy.
Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton (2018)
Fair play to Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton, they really committed to this Minions-inspired routine, and what could have been something quite cringe-y in the wrong hands was an actual joy to watch as a result.
Craig Revel Horwood (2019)
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In 2019, the judges took more of a hands-on role when it came to group routines, with Bruno Tonioli even singing live for one glorious performance.
But nothing could have prepared us for when Craig took centre stage, in full drag, for this Hello Dolly number.
We’ll admit, we’ve watched that routine multiple times to cheer ourselves up during lockdown, and it never fails.
Kirsty Gallagher and Brendan Cole (2015)
Kirsty Gallagher and Brendan Cole doing an American Smooth set to a number from Lady And The Tramp, complete with a twirling lift and a recreation of the iconic spaghetti-eating scene.
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This is basically what would happen if they made a sequel to the Cats film, but with dogs. And we’re kind of here for it.
Russell Grant and Flavia Cacace (2011)
Russell Grant on Strictly BBC
Even more bizarre than Russell Grant being fired out of a canon is the fact we can’t find a video of it anywhere online? Did it actually happen? Was the whole thing a fever dream?
Fortunately, there is at the very least photographic evidence of the moment in question (which, frankly, has put our mind at ease a bit).
AJ Pritchard and Lauren Steadman (2018)
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This was actually a pretty great performance, but the opening 20 seconds of this video are so chaotic. AJ Pritchard chopping wood with hair extensions in, Lauren Steadman adapting an iconic line to include the word “mirrorball” so it makes no sense, the abrupt start to the music… we need a bit of a lie down afterwards, to be honest.
Ed Balls and Katya Jones (2016)
We could probably have included four or five Ed Balls appearances on this list, but we’ve gone for his Movie Week routine, which saw him channelling Jim Carrey in The Mask.
Or, in this case, The Green Face Paint.
The Teletubbies (2015)
Truthfully, we’re not even sure what this video is, or why it exists. And yet, it somehow still makes more sense to us than Max George playing Dianne Buswell’s leg like a saxophone.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-09--Trial Covid-19 Vaccine Found To Be More Than 90% Effective In Tests

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A coronavirus vaccine being trialled by two pharmaceutical giants has been found to be more than 90% effective in preventing Covid-19 in tests.
The vaccine is being developed by Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech.
The study of more than 43,500 people – which was held across six countries – did not uncover any serious safety concerns, the companies said.
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Meanwhile, just 94 people developed Covid-19 during the trial.
To confirm the efficacy of the vaccine, Pfizer will continue the trial until there are 164 coronavirus cases among participants, the Reuters news agency reported.
Pfizer is expected to ask the US for authorisation for emergency use of the vaccine by the end of November.
No.10 said the UK had procured 40m doses of the vaccine, with 10m set to be manufactured by the end of the year if the jab is approved by regulators. Reports of a deal between the UK and Pfizer in July suggested 30m doses had been secured – it is not clear when the extra 10m were added.
Pfizer CEO Dr Albert Bourla said the development marked a “great day for science and humanity”.
“The first set of results from our Phase 3 Covid-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine’s ability to prevent Covid-19,” he said.
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“We are reaching this critical milestone in our vaccine development program at a time when the world needs it most with infection rates setting new records, hospitals nearing over-capacity and economies struggling to reopen.”
Bourla said that scientists were “a significant step closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crisis”.
Pfizer and BioNTech said that, based on current projections, they expected to be able to produce 50m doses of the vaccine in 2020 and as many as 1.3bn in 2021.
Concerns have also been raised about the logistical challenges associated with the vaccine, with the BBC reporting that it needs to be kept in ultra-cold storage at below -80C, while the WSJ said it was around -70C.
What type of vaccine is this?
The jab is known as a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine.
Conventional vaccines are produced using weakened forms of the virus, but mRNAs use only the virus’s genetic code.
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An mRNA vaccine is injected into the body where it enters cells and tells them to create antigens.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-09--Disney's Tear-Jerking Christmas Advert Has Officially Broken Us

OK, we’ll admit it doesn’t take a huge amount to set us off right now, but even those with the coldest of hearts would have a hard time not being moved by Disney’s new Christmas advert.
The corporation has just unveiled their new festive commercial, and it certainly lives up to Disney’s tear-jerking reputation.
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The ad sees a Mickey Mouse toy gifted to a young girl named Lola by her father in 1940, and as the years go by, the toy comes to symbolise her present-day relationship with her granddaughter.
In typical Disney fashion, there is an incident halfway through the ad that leads to an emotional moment as the characters celebrate Christmas.
Disney
The advert is sound-tracked by 19-year-old British musician Griff with her song Love Is A Compass.
She described the ad as “the happy ending everybody wants to see” while families remain apart due to Covid-19, telling the PA news agency: “Right now at this time it feels very timely and people are going to watch it and crave to be together and want to be together. Definitely when I was watching it.
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“It’s so important to give a message of hope and realise that we will all reconnect at some point. When I watched it I just loved it.”
Disney
The animation short also supports children’s charity Make-A-Wish, with the Mickey Mouse doll from the ad available to buy online, with money going to help fulfil the wishes of children with critical illnesses.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-09--Zach Braff Praises Girlfriend Florence Pugh After She Hit Back At Relationship Critics

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Zach Braff has praised girlfriend Florence Pugh, after she hit back at critics of their 24-year age gap.
The pair have been in a relationship since April 2019, but earlier this year, when the Midsommar star shared a photo of Zach on Instagram, she received a wave of comments criticising their difference in age.
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At the time, she shared a short clip on her page insisting: “I will not allow that behaviour on my page, I’m not about that. It makes me upset, it makes me sad that during this time when we really all need to be together, we need to be supporting one another.
“I am 24 years old. I do not need you to tell me who I should and should not love, and I would never in my life ever tell anyone who they can and cannot love.”
In a new interview with Mr Porter, Zach was asked if he’d ever been tempted to hit back in the same way, but said he felt Florence had handled the situation sufficiently on her own.
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“She literally sat down, hit record on her phone and said that,” he explained. “I thought: ‘how could I possibly follow anything as intelligent and articulate as that?’. So, I chose not to.”
Zach Braff at an Oscars after-party earlier this year Toni Anne Barson via Getty Images
Over the summer, Florence spoke of the criticism her relationship with the Scrubs actor had faced once again, in an interview on Sue Perkins’ podcast.
“I’ve always found it funny, how I can be good enough for people to watch my work and support my work and pay for tickets and I’m old enough to be an adult and pay taxes but I’m not old enough to know who I should and should not have sex with,” the Oscar-nominated star said.
Florence Pugh Toni Anne Barson via Getty Images
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“Once again, it’s making a young woman feel like shit for no reason,” she continued.
“I think I did feel shit for a while... and then I thought ‘how ridiculous is that?’. I’m 24 and I can’t choose who I love.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-09--Two-Week Holiday Quarantine Could Be Cut – But Only If You Pay For A Covid Test

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The amount of time people have to self-isolate after returning from holidays abroad could be reduced — if they pay for it.
Grant Shapps said on Monday the government was making “very good progress” on a new system that would offer arrivals a coronavirus test when they land in the UK.
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But the transport secretary said it would come at a “cost to the passenger”.
Under current rules, people have to quarantine for 14 days when arriving from the overwhelming majority of countries, including popular holiday destinations such as France and Spain.
Speaking to the Airport Operators Association annual conference, Shapps said he would soon present Boris Johnson with a plan designed to support the tourism industry.
“This will consist of a single test for arrivals into the UK provided by the private sector at a cost to the passenger, allowing us a much-reduced period of self-isolation,” he said.
“Beyond the lockdown, this should encourage more people to be able to book flights with confidence, knowing there is an option which allows them to shorten self-isolation if they’re going somewhere which isn’t in – or does become outside – a travel corridor.
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“We’ve been working extensively with health experts and the private testing sector on the practicalities of this new regime.”
Shapps also said the coronavirus swab test, currently being trialled in Liverpool, that gives results in less than an hour, could result in non-quarantine air travel.
And he said the British government was working to build an “international standard” for self-isolation rules as the different rules across the globe were “confusing” for passengers.
International holidays are currently banned from England until at least December 2, after the prime minister imposed a four-week national lockdown.
But when the ban is lifted, people who break the quarantine rules upon return face penalties starting at £200 and increasing to a maximum of £6,400.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-09--Kevin Clifton Has An Alternative Theory About Jacqui Smith's Early Strictly Come Dancing Exit

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Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Kevin Clifton has spoken out about the show’s lack of studio audience, believing it “doesn’t have that same effect”.
The BBC ballroom show has had to adapt due to the coronavirus pandemic this year, beginning the series with a small socially-distanced audience, prior to lockdown causing it to go ahead without any at all.
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Kevin also said he believes that former home secretary Jacqui Smith and partner Anton DuBeke might not have become the first couple to be voted off if there had been a full studio audience.
Kevin Clifton Dave J Hogan via Getty Images
Speaking to The Sun, Kevin said: “It does not have that same effect in the studio.
“I think there have been numbers that I have seen where people react in the studio and they have just gone off at the end of the number and Tess [Daly] is trying to talk and they are still clapping and stamping their feet and there is a second wave of applause.
“The overall feel of the number then, whatever the judges say, at that point is that we all loved it.
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“I do think people sat at home, people will feel that noise that is happening in the studio.”
Kevin, who quit Strictly after seven years in March, added: “If that had happened for Jacqui and Anton they might have become everyone’s favourite, as it was so out there.”
Kevin was part of Strictly Come Dancing for seven years Karwai Tang via Getty Images
Saturday’s movie special of Strictly marked the first time there has not been a studio audience in its 16-year history.
The BBC previously said that audiences will not be invited back into the ballroom until early December should it be permitted to do so under government guidance.
Prior to lockdown, audience members had been seated in household groups of four, with each group sat at least two metres away from one another.
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This had already reduced the usual capacity in the studio from around 600 to approximately 100 people.
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday at 7.10pm on BBC One.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-09--The Lockdown Rules On Essential Items Are Confusing. Here's A Recap

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When Welsh shoppers reported clothing and homeware being hidden behind tape and cellophane during Wales’ “firebreak” lockdown, the rest of the UK sympathised – and were told the same thing wouldn’t happen elsewhere.
But now, less than a week into England’s national lockdown, confused shoppers have been sharing photos of non-essential items blocked off from sale.
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Joanne White, from London, was surprised to see barriers introduced at her local store in Streatham. “It is beyond ridiculous,” she tells HuffPost UK. “You can buy as much alcohol as you like, but not homeware, clothes or toys.”
Joanne White Joanne White
Shoppers have also been met by barriers at other supermarket branches, with many questioning why certain sections have been cut off – or why some items are deemed more essential than others.
@Tesco my friends just been refused to buy school shoes for her daughter at #batley store please explain how SCHOOL SHOES are non essential items but alcohol is? How is said child suppose to walk too & from school? — Jodie MUFC B (@jlbritton86) November 7, 2020
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@Tesco Why is the clothing section in Borehamwood Extra blocked off today due to lockdown 2.0? Seems odd. I can buy a box of Christmas crackers and baubles but not any children’s clothes like vests etc pic.twitter.com/fvCb6xio3c — Subodha Bhatt (@Spuddie007) November 7, 2020
My local @Tesco barrow-in-furness ,, blocked the clothing and electrical section off as non-essential. Shocking, thought England would have more sense after the Welsh non essential uproar .. @Tesco I hope the people of barrow boycott your store pic.twitter.com/UMNTrWT9Jz — Kez Creighton (@Kezcreighton) November 7, 2020
@Tesco, In your Brooklands store 2 days ago, I needed a feather duster. senior management flat out refused to get me one as they were upstairs and classed as “un-essential” because gov said so. and Xbox games had been moved downstairs. Is FIFA more important than hygienic house? — Matthew Collins (@MattCollins1994) November 9, 2020
Local tesco have blocked off "none essential" items
You can fuck right off with that shit here
All become a load of shit this pic.twitter.com/HFwZwtwpW1 — Citylightz (@citylightzmusic) November 8, 2020
So, can supermarkets still sell non-essential items, or not? It all depends on where they’re placed in the store.
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Unlike in Wales, the official guidelines in England state that a business selling “a significant amount of essential retail may also continue to sell goods typically sold at non-essential retail”.
For example, a supermarket that sells food is not required to close off or cordon off aisles selling homeware when the two sit side-by-side.
The rules get a little more convoluted when a store operates on two floors. In extended guidelines published to help “mixed retailers” navigate the new system, shops are asked to close “sufficiently distinct” sections selling non-essential items.
“Sufficiently distinct sections might involve operating in separate buildings, across separate floors, a door between sections, using separate cashiers, or another clear demarcation between sections,” the guidelines state.
“For example a food shop may stay open, but a homeware section on a separate floor or separate building should close.”
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The rules also stipulate that where a business selling essential retail has another, separate business embedded within it, that separate business is required to close: “For example, an electronics business operating a concession within a supermarket must close, as would a bookshop business inside a garden centre.”
It’s because of this that some Tesco and Sainsbury’s stores have closed certain departments. Asda also confirmed to HuffPost UK that it has closed 36 of its standalone Asda Living and George stores.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-09--Strictly’s Movie Week… The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Strictly’s Movie Week… The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
There was a lot to take in as Strictly put on their annual Movie Week, including a new frontrunner, the second elimination and a Couple’s Choice routine none of us are likely to forget in a hurry.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-09--Fatima Whitbread Shares Grim Story About Infamous I'm A Celebrity Cockroach Incident

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Fatima Whitbread taking on the Feed Your Face Extreme Trial in 2011 went down as one of the most infamous I’m A Celebrity moments ever.
But speaking ahead of the new series, Fatima has admitted there’s another grim detail of the story she’s not shared before.
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For those who need reminding, during her series, the Olympic javelin thrower was chosen by the public to take part in a signature Bushtucker Trial, donning a clear plastic helmet which was slowly filled with various critters.
After completing the trial, Fatima then struggled to remove a cockroach that had become lodged up her nose, in scenes that got everyone talking at the time.
Well, reflecting on the moment during an appearance in the special I’m A Celebrity highlights show A Jungle Story, which aired on Sunday night, Fatima revealed that after the cockroach was dislodged, she actually held onto it, and still has it to this day.
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“I could feel his furry little legs up there, it was very uncomfortable and very unsettling,” she explained. “But at the same time, I just thought, ‘well there’s no point getting upset about this’.
“It did come out, and it didn’t last long… and I kept him, and had him waxed. LB, I call him. Because at the time, he was a little bastard.”
Fatima Whitbread and her late companion, LB ITV
ITV bosses are currently gearing up for the 20th series of I’m A Celebrity, which debuts on Sunday night at 9pm.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the show has moved from its usual home in the Australian jungle to a remote castle in Wales, with the 10 celebrities taking part in the show having now been announced.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-09--Shane Richie Admits He's 'Literally Skint' Ahead Of I'm A Celebrity Debut

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Shane Richie has admitted the coronavirus pandemic has left him “literally skint” ahead of his appearance in I’m A Celebrity.
Later this week, Shane and nine other celebrities will be moving into a ruined castle in Wales for a new series of the ITV reality show, which has moved from its usual location in the Australian jungle due to travel restrictions.
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Speaking ahead of his I’m A Celebrity debut, the former EastEnders star revealed his fee for the show would be coming in handy, as he’s lost out on money due to the crisis.
Shane said he’d actually signed up for I’m A Celebrity way back in January before the pandemic hit, and had been swayed to take part in honour of the 20th series.
Shane Richie is among the stars heading into the new I'm A Celebrity castle ITV/Shutterstock
“I agreed to do it because it was the 20th one,” he explained. “My kids were old enough to travel to Australia and they wanted to meet Ant and Dec!
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“We were all really excited.”
He continued: “We were going to fit it around my other work projects as I was going on tour, doing a TV series and panto but that all got cancelled in March.
“And now I am literally skint! You save money for a rainy day but you don’t expect the rainy day to last six months.
“Thankfully I’ve been able to borrow money from mates, my family and the bank and my wife is now very happy we can finally pay off the credit card!
“But what an honour to be asked before lockdown. I am so grateful and I am really looking forward to being around adults again instead of my wife and three children!”
This year's I'm A Celebrity line-up ITV
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ITV recently confirmed that one of the contestants on the line-up was still in self-isolation, having recently tested positive for coronavirus.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-09--Victoria Beckham Makes Savage Dig At David After Pic Of His Oversized Boots Goes Viral

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Victoria Beckham couldn’t resist making a playful dig at husband David, after a photo showing him in an eye-catching pair of boots went viral over the weekend.
On Sunday, Victoria posted a photo of herself and David posing in their poppies in honour of Remembrance Day.
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“Wearing our poppies with pride today!” she wrote, alongside a picture of herself and David wrapped up outside.
While the sentiment of the post was praised by many, a select few were distracted by David’s choice of footwear, which quickly began doing the rounds online:
👀 David Beckham appears to be wearing Hagrid’s boots. pic.twitter.com/OlpfAezVGs — PiQ (@PriapusIQ) November 8, 2020
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I can’t stop thinking about David Beckham’s boots pic.twitter.com/IhgtCoaxNJ — Charlotte Maud (@ardypine) November 8, 2020
I need to talk about David Beckham's boots in this photo. What is going on there? How does he even walk in them? pic.twitter.com/MgrSB4OmAc — googlyeyecat 🐈 (@googlyeyecat) November 8, 2020
Now, I accept that David Beckham is a million times more handsome and stylish than I could ever wish to be, but those boots don’t look very practical? Surely they would come flying straight off should he ever need to break into a brisk walk? pic.twitter.com/wtK9MsUWqJ — Rob Smith (@RobsterSM) November 8, 2020
What the hell kind of Santa Claus boots is David Beckham wearing here?https://t.co/8AFm52bvJh — Tara (@4jinxremoving) November 8, 2020
wtf has #DavidBeckham got on his feet? Looks like hes stole the BFGs rigger boots 😂😂 canny stop looking at them! 😂 @victoriabeckham #dailymail pic.twitter.com/BDTW0Jwl7v — Stephanie (@stephbo19) November 8, 2020
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He looks like he's available to buy at a garden centre. pic.twitter.com/jv66uOZqgx — cluedont (@cluedont) November 8, 2020
But while David’s boots led to him being compared to everyone from Hagrid to Santa Claus, Victoria had a rather different character in mind when she made a savage comment about them on her Instagram story.
“Gaston wants his boots back,” the former Spice Girls star and fashion designer joked, sharing a picture of the classic Disney villain, as well as the same photo of David.
The football legend got in on the fun, though, resharing Victoria’s post with the message: “So my wife decided to post before asking me or cropping my last-minute shoe option… revenge will be sweet.”
A screenshot of David's Instagram story Instagram/David Beckham
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This isn’t the first time Victoria has taken a joking pop at her husband, though, previously poking fun at a throwback photo-shoot he shared on Instagram over the summer.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-09--Jeopardy Host Alex Trebek Remembered As Game Show Legend Following His Death Aged 80

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Tributes from fans, celebrities and former Jeopardy contestants have been pouring in on social media after Alex Trebek’s death at 80 years old was announced on Sunday night, following a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer.
The long-serving game show host, who first revealed his cancer diagnosis in March 2019, died at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by family and friends, according to an official statement released by the Jeopardy Twitter account.
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“Jeopardy is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends. Thank you, Alex,” the tweet read.
Jeopardy! is saddened to share that Alex Trebek passed away peacefully at home early this morning, surrounded by family and friends. Thank you, Alex. pic.twitter.com/Yk2a90CHIM — Jeopardy! (@Jeopardy) November 8, 2020
As a mainstay on Canadian and American television since the ’70s, Trebek had become an enduring presence in people’s homes even before making his debut on the legendary US quiz show in 1984.
He would go on to host more than 8,000 episodes of Jeopardy over three decades, and had planned to stay on the show through 2022.
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After news of his death broke, a number of celebrities paid tribute to the pop culture icon with heartfelt remembrances, including Jamie Lee Curtis and Ryan Reynolds, fellow TV hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Ellen DeGeneres, and former contestants James Holzhauer and Ken Jennings.
The answer is..... THANK YOU! Alex Trebek. You were grace and guts and humor and deep love. — Jamie Lee Curtis (@jamieleecurtis) November 8, 2020
Alex Trebek hosted Jeopardy for 36 years. What an incredible career and remarkable life. I’m sending love to his family and fans. — Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) November 8, 2020
Alex wasn’t just the best ever at what he did. He was also a lovely and deeply decent man, and I’m grateful for every minute I got to spend with him. pic.twitter.com/CdHCcbqmp2 — Ken Jennings (@KenJennings) November 8, 2020
Very sorry to hear the news about Alex Trebek. Condolences to his family. 😞 — William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) November 8, 2020
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RIP #AlexTrebek 💗 what an icon — Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) November 8, 2020
I am very sad to hear that Alex Trebek has passed away. He was a tremendously nice man and we're all going to miss him. His courage in these last years was something to see. RIP, Alex. And thank you. — Michael McKean (@MJMcKean) November 8, 2020
Alex Trebek, you brought us so much knowledge, both important and fun, through the years. Your final battle with cancer was heroic, and we are heartbroken that it has taken you from us. I’ll take “Great TV Personas of Our Time” for $800. The heavens have all the answers now. — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) November 8, 2020
Alex Trebek was like a family member who I watched every night. I remember going to the set to watch him tape a show before I started my TV career. He was a big influence and one of a kind. Rest In Peace, Alex. https://t.co/B9wq95uRg4 — Ryan Seacrest (@RyanSeacrest) November 8, 2020
Alex Trebek was kind enough to film a cameo for our film Free Guy last year despite his battle. He was gracious and funny. In addition to being curious, stalwart, generous, reassuring and of course, Canadian. We love you, Alex. And always will. — Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) November 8, 2020
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Couldn't we have one nice weekend? A kind gentleman whose excellence was so consistent, it was easy to take for granted. Rest well, Mr. Trebek. https://t.co/Zq7RN6kSKk — Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) November 8, 2020
A picture from one of the best days of my life. You wait your whole life to get on this show and nothing is more satisfying than buzzing in and hearing this legend call your name for a response. An amazing emcee who loved seeing contestants perform at their best. I will miss him. pic.twitter.com/rPFAmc9Rh6 — Louis Virtel (@louisvirtel) November 8, 2020
This MF year. Heartbroken. — Alex Trebek Dead at 80 After Battling Pancreatic Cancer https://t.co/tIU0rUbjDJ — Josh Gad (@joshgad) November 8, 2020
The #Jeopardy stage is empty now and the television world will not be the same without Alex Trebek. RIP. pic.twitter.com/TmXtFBWJTu — Marlee Matlin (@MarleeMatlin) November 8, 2020
The only reason I went super early to the 2019 @DaytimeEmmys was in hopes of meeting Mr. Alex Trebek -- it was a thrill to meet him and thank him for all the years of entertainment.. He was a gem and a gentleman.. condolences to his family and fans. #alextrebek pic.twitter.com/t8KyyTlDCR — Loni Love (@LoniLove) November 8, 2020
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Alex Trebek has been a part of my life since childhood. He was like a family friend. This is one of those losses that will take a while to accept. I’m heartbroken. — Michelle Collins (@michcoll) November 8, 2020
Fans also memorialised the late game show host, with many sharing favorite Jeopardy moments from over the years.
Alex Trebek was a giant at a job that barely exists in television anymore, on a show that is the same way. It's part of what gives his passing not just personal weight, but cultural weight as well. — Linda Holmes Thinks You're Doing Great (@lindaholmes) November 8, 2020
an absolute legend, off this alone pic.twitter.com/bwR24VG8aU — steven j. horowitz (@speriod) November 8, 2020
The thing about Alex Trebek is that everyone has a personal connection. I watched Jeopardy! with my grandparents. These last months, watching eps was the only steady routine we had here. It's me, it's you, it's the lovely man who shared that he learned English watching the show. — Kevin Fallon (@kpfallon) November 8, 2020
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What a legend. This clip always gets me pic.twitter.com/s0lOBLFu7e — Michael Benjamin (@mfbenji) November 8, 2020
To celebrate the great Alex Trebek, let’s all enjoy him saying the word “genre” thanks to this video from @whoisalexjacob ❤❤❤ pic.twitter.com/o9Y08tmDkG — Niccole Thurman (@niccolethurman) November 8, 2020
80 years old. a legend who's been with so many people for their entire lives, including mine https://t.co/HIlKiDZabr — David Sims (@davidlsims) November 8, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-09--The Scariest Days Of The Trump Presidency Could Be The Final 74

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Americans nervous about a president who wanted troops to shoot border crossers, and who suggested using nuclear weapons against hurricanes, could be facing the scariest days of Donald Trump’s presidency: the final ones.
As intemperate, foolhardy and reckless as many of Trump’s actions have been to date, critics warn that they all took place as Trump faced a referendum from voters. Now, that pending job review has passed.
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“He will create as much chaos as humanly possible,” said Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and fixer who was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison for, in part, arranging illegal hush-money payments to keep women from revealing affairs they had had with Trump just prior to the 2016 election.
“Donald Trump will take to the airwaves, to radio and print media whining about how the election was stolen from him due to fraud and foreign interference,” Cohen said. “He could never accept the fact that he lost because he is incompetent and arrogant.”
President-elect Joe Biden is set to assume the office at noon on January 20, but Trump retains all of the powers of the presidency for the 74 remaining days until that moment, including his role as commander in chief of the US armed forces and the country’s nuclear arsenal.
Trump has indicated that he is not inclined to cooperate in a transition because of the FBI’s investigation into the assistance Russia gave his campaign in 2016, something the president has characterised as “spying.”
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“What about the transition I had where you spied on my campaign and you tried to take down the president of the United States?” he complained at a Pennsylvania rally last week.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment about this story.
“Either fire Wray, Fauci and Haspel and act out. Or he will behave to get good will. Will be interesting to watch. And it’s 50-50.” - A longtime Trump adviser, on how he may spend the final days of his presidency
Trump offered some clues about his likely path in the three days of vote counting that followed the election. He relentlessly lied both on social media and in a 16-minute diatribe to reporters, where he accused Democrats of “stealing” the election from him and asserted ― bizarrely ― that he had already “claimed” certain states as his own. The president has had nothing on his public schedule since the election, beyond that briefing room appearance Thursday evening.
One former White House official said on condition of anonymity that worries like Cohen’s are overwrought. “I don’t think he will do anything out of the ordinary,” he said of Trump.
But a longtime adviser, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said he can easily see Trump firing infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci, FBI Director Christopher Wray and CIA Director Gina Haspel for contradicting his various claims.
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“Either fire Wray, Fauci and Haspel and act out. Or he will behave to get good will,” the adviser said. “Will be interesting to watch. And it’s 50-50.”
George Conway, who supported Trump in 2016 but soon thereafter became one of his most strident critics, said a purge is almost certain.
“He’s going to fire anyone who’s ever looked at him crosswise,” said Conway, who is the husband of former top Trump aide Kellyanne Conway.
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a historian and authoritarianism expert at New York University, agreed that Trump is likely to use his powers to “take revenge on those who are not loyal enough.”
Daniel Goldman, a former federal prosecutor who served as House Democrats’ lead lawyer during Trump’s impeachment hearings, said he predicts the president and his aides will have a busy 10 weeks or so.
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“Issue all sorts of executive orders rolling back additional Obama regulations, implement new regulations without proper notice and comment, kneecap and handcuff various agencies, use the levers of power to grease the wheels for his personal financial interests post-presidency,” Goldman said. “And, of course, pardons like you’ve never seen before.”
One of Trump’s possible pardons, of course, could be for himself, to remove the threat of federal prosecution for potential crimes he may have committed, both before taking office (bank and tax fraud) and during these past four years (obstruction of justice, for example). It’s unclear whether he is actually permitted to self-pardon, but Trump has shown he is willing to break guidelines and laws when useful for him.
“No one has tried it before, so no court has considered the issue,” said Renato Mariotti, a former federal prosecutor. “It is an open question, but many people think he can’t because the pardon clause implies that the person granting the pardon and the person receiving the pardon are different people.”
As for last-minute regulations, those can be blocked in the courts if they are improperly drafted or implemented. And any of Trump’s executive orders can be immediately rescinded by Biden after he takes office.
It’s not clear how much interest Trump will have in any of this, though, now that he has lost. Anthony Scaramucci, a longtime Trump friend and for a brief time a White House adviser, needed just two words to describe Trump’s likeliest lame-duck agenda: “Play golf.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-09--Trump Lashes Out At 'Lamestream' Media As He Still Refuses To Concede

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Donald Trump has launched another attack on the press as he still refuses to accept defeat in the election.
Tweeting on Sunday evening, the president wrote: “Since when does the Lamestream Media call who our next president will be? We have all learned a lot in the last two weeks!”
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Since when does the Lamestream Media call who our next president will be? We have all learned a lot in the last two weeks! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 8, 2020
In an almost-stirring show of unity, first lady Melania Trump has broken her silence and echoed her husband’s false allegations of voter fraud.
“The American people deserve fair elections. Every legal — not illegal — vote should be counted. We must protect our democracy with complete transparency,” she tweeted on Sunday.
After nearly four days of counting, a victory was yielded for Democratic candidate Joe Biden on Saturday.
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With Trump still insisting the race is not over – his adult sons, Donald Jr and Eric, have also urged their father to keep fighting and challenged Republicans to stand with them.
Meanwhile, the White House released a terse statement on Saturday saying that the president “will accept the results of a free and fair election” and that the administration “is following all statutory requirements”.
Still, there are concerns that Trump’s rhetoric will inflame tensions in a nation that was already bitterly divided before the election.
The Biden campaign made clear its patience had limits.
“As we said on July 19, the American people will decide this election,” Biden’s spokesman Andrew Bates said on Friday.
“And the United States government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House.”
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President-elect Joe Biden, right, on stage with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, left, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool) ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Nelson Mandela foundation is the latest group to urge Trump to concede, calling for him to “embrace the democratic process, support the transition, and begin contributing to the healing of a deeply fractured society”.
“As Nelson Mandela often used to say, a good leader knows when to step down. And how to do so appropriately. It’s not too late for Trump to embrace dignity, for himself and for others,” a statement said.
Trump is not expected to ever formally concede, according to people close to him, but is likely to grudgingly vacate the White House at the end of his term.
At this point, the president is also facing pressure to cooperate with Biden’s team to ensure a smooth transfer of power when the new administration takes office in January.
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The General Services Administration (GSA) is tasked with formally recognising Biden as president-elect, which begins the transition. But the agency’s Trump-appointed administrator, Emily Murphy, has not started the process and has given no guidance on when she will do so.
That lack of clarity is fuelling questions about whether Trump will impede democrats as they try to establish a government.