inews--2020-05-20--Coronavirus in the UK: Public health chiefs 'failed to tell care homes of outbreaks'

Coronavirus in the UK : Public health chiefs 'failed to tell care homes of outbreaks' Care homes were told infection was 'very unlikely ' while officials privately recorded 'rapidly growing ' number of infections Public Health England was recording dozens of outbreaks of Covid-19 in care homes in England at the same time as their official advice to the sector was that the risk of infection was “ very unlikely ” , it has emerged .
PHE passed on this information to ministers , but the figures were not circulated to the wider care sector , an investigation by Radio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Vic Rayner , the executive director of the National Care Forum , said the failure to inform care homes of the rising numbers left them seriously exposed .
Ministers have now admitted the Government had to chose between care homes and the NHS at the start of the outbreak ( Photo : Getty ) In total PHE identified more than 250 outbreaks in English care homes before the lockdown , while there were more than 500 the following week .
On 25 February , PHE issued advice to the sector stating that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ receiving care in a care home or the community will become infected [ with Covid-19 ] ” .
This guidance was not withdrawn until 13 March , the day after the Government switched its coronavirus surveillance strategy from testing in the community to focusing on outbreaks in hospitals .
The revelation puts further pressure on PHE over its role in the official response to coronavirus , suggesting that the agency was not fully transparent over the risks facing the care sector .
PHE was criticised earlier this week by a committee of MPs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the community and care homes .
Ms Rayner told File on 4 : “ I think they ’ re huge , the consequences of not having that data .
The ability to plan , the ability to prioritise , the ability to identify early outbreaks and how they were managed or otherwise , the ability to bring in the right level of medical and health expertise , actually knowing what you ’ re dealing with - having that overall picture of knowing what ’ s going on is absolutely critical .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of catch-up .
We ’ ve got the tail end of resources.
” Asked why PHE had not kept care homes fully informed of the growing numbers of outbreaks in early March , a spokesman told i : “ PHE ’ s Health Protection Teams ( HPTs ) remain the first point of contact for care homes to report suspected outbreaks of Covid-19 and have been working with local partners to control and manage outbreaks in care homes since the beginning of March .
“ They arrange initial testing to confirm the outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the care home , which includes advice on isolating residents , cleaning , and appropriate use of PPE .

Public Health England was recording dozens of outbreaks of Covid-19 in care homes in England at the same time as their official advice to the sector was that the risk of infection was “very unlikely”, it has emerged.
Officials were collecting data on a “rapidly growing number” of incidents of infection in care homes from early March.
PHE passed on this information to ministers, but the figures were not circulated to the wider care sector, an investigation by Radio 4’s File On 4 revealed.
Vic Rayner, the executive director of the National Care Forum, said the failure to inform care homes of the rising numbers left them seriously exposed.
Fivefold increase
PHE’s south east region recorded a fivefold increase in Covid-19 outbreaks within one week in early March, File on 4’s Jane Deith reported.
In total PHE identified more than 250 outbreaks in English care homes before the lockdown, while there were more than 500 the following week.
On 25 February, PHE issued advice to the sector stating that “it remains very unlikely that people receiving care in a care home or the community will become infected [with Covid-19]”.
This guidance was not withdrawn until 13 March, the day after the Government switched its coronavirus surveillance strategy from testing in the community to focusing on outbreaks in hospitals.
‘Terrible game of catch-up’
The revelation puts further pressure on PHE over its role in the official response to coronavirus, suggesting that the agency was not fully transparent over the risks facing the care sector.
PHE was criticised earlier this week by a committee of MPs for focusing on testing in hospitals rather than the community and care homes.
Ms Rayner told File on 4: “I think they’re huge, the consequences of not having that data. The ability to plan, the ability to prioritise, the ability to identify early outbreaks and how they were managed or otherwise, the ability to bring in the right level of medical and health expertise, actually knowing what you’re dealing with – having that overall picture of knowing what’s going on is absolutely critical. We’re now in a terrible game of catch-up. We’ve got the tail end of resources.”
Asked why PHE had not kept care homes fully informed of the growing numbers of outbreaks in early March, a spokesman told i: “PHE’s Health Protection Teams (HPTs) remain the first point of contact for care homes to report suspected outbreaks of Covid-19 and have been working with local partners to control and manage outbreaks in care homes since the beginning of March.
“They arrange initial testing to confirm the outbreak and provide tailored infection control advice to the care home, which includes advice on isolating residents, cleaning, and appropriate use of PPE.
“The HPTs work with a range of local partners including care homes, Directors of Public Health, Local Authorities and Local Resilience Forums.”


inews--2020-05-20--Nasa: Head of mission to return to the Moon quits week before first US rocket launch in almost a dec

Nasa: Head of mission to return to the Moon quits week before first US rocket launch in almost a decade

Nasa : Head of mission to return to the Moon quits week before first US rocket launch in almost a decade Doug Leverro said 'risks ' he took to meet Trump 's moon mission deadline were behind his departure New US lunar mission planned for 2024 .
Astronaut Edwin E. US 'Buzz ' Aldrin , Jr. saluting the US flag on the surface of the Moon in 1969 mission ( Photo : NASA/Getty ) The person in charge of Nasa ’ s human spaceflight programme has resigned suddenly just a week before the agency ’ s first US launch in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abruptly after less than a year at the helm overseeing future astronaut launches and human landings on the Moon by 2024 .
An internal memo sent to employees at the agency read : `` Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations Doug Loverro has resigned from his position effective Monday , May 18.
” Ken Bowersox , a former astronaut and Nasa ’ s deputy associate administrator , will take on the role until a permanent replacement is found .
Doug Loverro said he had taken risks to meet the Moon landing target @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clues to the reasons behind his swift exit out of the blue started to emerge in a leaked email to colleagues .
Mr Loverro said his departure was `` because of my personal actions , '' citing without more explanation `` risks '' he took to meet the agency 's 2024 moon deadline .
`` It is clear that I made a mistake in that choice for which I alone must bear the consequences ” , he added .
He also told the news website Axios his decision to leave was not related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have 100 per cent faith in the success of that mission , '' he is reported to have said .
Nasa spokeswoman Katherine Brown said : “ Doug Loverro hit the ground running this year and has made significant progress in his time at NASA .
“ His leadership of HEO has moved us closer to accomplishing our goal of landing the first woman and the next man on the Moon in 2024 .
“ He has dedicated more than four decades of his life in service to our country , and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the agency.
” Mr Loverro took the post last October leading Nasa ’ s efforts to return humans to the lunar surface by 2024 , a mission set by the Trump administration in 2019 .
His departure comes at a crucial time for the US space agency , which will be sending astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station next week .
It will be the first crewed mission to orbit launched from the US since 2011 , Nasa has been using Russian rockets for flights over the @ @ @ @

The person in charge of Nasa’s human spaceflight programme has resigned suddenly just a week before the agency’s first US launch in almost a decade.
Doug Loverro left abruptly after less than a year at the helm overseeing future astronaut launches and human landings on the Moon by 2024.
An internal memo sent to employees at the agency read: “Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations Doug Loverro has resigned from his position effective Monday, May 18.”
Ken Bowersox, a former astronaut and Nasa’s deputy associate administrator, will take on the role until a permanent replacement is found.
Internal memo
Clues to the reasons behind his swift exit out of the blue started to emerge in a leaked email to colleagues.
Mr Loverro said his departure was “because of my personal actions,” citing without more explanation “risks” he took to meet the agency’s 2024 moon deadline.
“It is clear that I made a mistake in that choice for which I alone must bear the consequences”, he added.
He also told the news website Axios his decision to leave was not related to the upcoming launch.
“I have 100 per cent faith in the success of that mission,” he is reported to have said.
‘Personal actions’
Nasa spokeswoman Katherine Brown said: “Doug Loverro hit the ground running this year and has made significant progress in his time at NASA.
“His leadership of HEO has moved us closer to accomplishing our goal of landing the first woman and the next man on the Moon in 2024.
“He has dedicated more than four decades of his life in service to our country, and we thank him for his service and contributions to the agency.”
Mr Loverro took the post last October leading Nasa’s efforts to return humans to the lunar surface by 2024, a mission set by the Trump administration in 2019.
His departure comes at a crucial time for the US space agency, which will be sending astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station next week.
Crucial time
It will be the first crewed mission to orbit launched from the US since 2011, Nasa has been using Russian rockets for flights over the last nine years.
Both the rocket and capsule for next week’s launch were designed and built by SpaceX, the private company owned by billionaire Elon Musk.
Mr Loverro had been expected to be in charge of the “flight readiness review” on Thursday, which will run through preparations and clear astronauts Mr Behnken and Mr Hurley for the mission.


inews--2020-05-20--Coronavirus tests: Boris Johnson vows that track and trace system will be running by 1 June

Coronavirus tests : Boris Johnson vows that track and trace system will be running by 1 June PM 'confident ' 25,000 contact tracers will soon be called into action Boris Johnson has promised that the test , track and trace scheme seen as essential for relaxing Britain ’ s coronavirus lockdown will be up and running by 1 June .
But there is no firm date for the introduction of the NHS contact tracing app - modelled on similar systems in Singapore and South Korea - which ministers had hoped to launch by mid-May .
A Cabinet minister conceded on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for “ several weeks ” .
Mr Johnson pledged that 25,000 contract tracers would be in place by the start of June , the earliest possible date for the gradual reopening of primary schools and non-essential shops in England .
He said they would be capable every day of tracking the recent contacts of 10,000 people with Covid-19 .
The Prime Minister announced the target in fractious Commons exchanges with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer who described the absence of contact-tracing as “ a huge hole in our defences ” .
Prime Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Questions in the House of Commons , London Mr Johnson said : “ We ’ re making fast progress in testing and tracing and I have great confidence that by 1 June we will have a system that will enable us , that will help us very greatly to defeat this disease and move the country forward.
” Government advisers have warned that it is essential for a testing and tracing system to be ready ahead of the loosening of lockdown restrictions .
Earlier the Justice Secretary , Robert Buckland , cast doubt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ app .
A week ago , the Health Secretary Matt Hancock , said it would be `` rolling out in mid-May '' .
He said : “ I think the signs are good but there 's more work to be done clearly.
” Asked if the app , currently being trialled in the Isle of Wight , would be ready by the start of June , he replied : “ I think it wo n't necessarily be as widespread and as full-blown as we would like , I think that would develop over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next month or so , It 's a combination of that app and of the track-and-trace volunteers who are being trained as we speak.
” Security researchers on Wednesday highlighted a number of potential flaws in the coronavirus contact tracing app .
The issues have been flagged to the National Cyber Security Centre , which is involved in the app 's development , and it said it is in the process of fixing them .
The researchers also warned legal protections around data use are needed in order to better protect personal privacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ associated with the app should be protected by legislation `` from use by law enforcement , or any usage not directly related to Covid-19 prevention '' .

Boris Johnson has promised that the test, track and trace scheme seen as essential for relaxing Britain’s coronavirus lockdown will be up and running by 1 June.
But there is no firm date for the introduction of the NHS contact tracing app – modelled on similar systems in Singapore and South Korea – which ministers had hoped to launch by mid-May. A Cabinet minister conceded on Wednesday that it would not be ready for “several weeks”.
Mr Johnson pledged that 25,000 contract tracers would be in place by the start of June, the earliest possible date for the gradual reopening of primary schools and non-essential shops in England.
He said they would be capable every day of tracking the recent contacts of 10,000 people with Covid-19.
The Prime Minister announced the target in fractious Commons exchanges with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer who described the absence of contact-tracing as “a huge hole in our defences”.
‘Great confidence’ in hitting target
Mr Johnson said: “We’re making fast progress in testing and tracing and I have great confidence that by 1 June we will have a system that will enable us, that will help us very greatly to defeat this disease and move the country forward.”
Government advisers have warned that it is essential for a testing and tracing system to be ready ahead of the loosening of lockdown restrictions.
Earlier the Justice Secretary, Robert Buckland, cast doubt on the timetable for introducing the tracing app. A week ago, the Health Secretary Matt Hancock, said it would be “rolling out in mid-May”.
He said: “I think the signs are good but there’s more work to be done clearly.”
Asked if the app, currently being trialled in the Isle of Wight, would be ready by the start of June, he replied: “I think it won’t necessarily be as widespread and as full-blown as we would like, I think that would develop over the next several weeks, over the next month or so, It’s a combination of that app and of the track-and-trace volunteers who are being trained as we speak.”
Flaws in app
Security researchers on Wednesday highlighted a number of potential flaws in the coronavirus contact tracing app. The issues have been flagged to the National Cyber Security Centre, which is involved in the app’s development, and it said it is in the process of fixing them.
The researchers also warned legal protections around data use are needed in order to better protect personal privacy on the app. They say data associated with the app should be protected by legislation “from use by law enforcement, or any usage not directly related to Covid-19 prevention”.


inews--2020-05-20--Coronavirus and UK travel: Britons could have staycation summer holidays in July and August as forei

Coronavirus and UK travel: Britons could have staycation summer holidays in July and August as foreign travel restrictions remain

Coronavirus and UK travel : Britons could have staycation summer holidays in July and August as foreign travel restrictions remain Hotels , holiday homes and campsites could start to reopen from 4 July , the Government has said Britons could be encouraged to take summer holidays within the UK in July and August if there is no second spike in Covid-19 cases , the Government has confirmed .
No 10 's plans for easing the lockdown would see holiday homes , campsites and hotels reopen from the start of July as long as the number of coronavirus cases continues to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials have warned that holidays may have to take place within Britain because of restrictions on international travel and quarantine rules being introduced in the UK and abroad .
Mr Dowden told the daily Downing Street press conference on Wednesday : `` I would love to get the tourism sector up as quickly as we possibly can .
We 've set this very ambitious plan to try and get it up and running by the beginning of July .
`` Clearly , we can only do it if it 's safe to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for our tourism sector would be to start , then see the R rate rise out of control , see a second peak that overwhelms the NHS that we then have to slam on the brakes again . ''
He added : `` Believe me , when we get to the point when we can have British tourism back , perhaps apart from the Prime Minister you wo n't get a bigger champion of the great British break than me . ''
The Government will soon introduce a 14-day quarantine for anyone arriving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ render foreign holidays almost impossible .
Ministers have floated the possibility of building `` air bridges '' with other countries , allowing Britons to travel there and back without being quarantined , but it remains unclear whether other governments would welcome the prospect given the UK 's relatively high level of coronavirus infections .
Other obstacles to foreign travel in the coming months could include the need for social distancing on planes , which would reduce their capacity and drive up the price of tickets .
A senior No 10 source said : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people will be able to have a holiday in this country than abroad .
But when we will get to that point , it 's too early to say . ''
Reopening the hospitality industry is part of `` step three '' of the Government 's lockdown road map , which is pencilled in for 4 July but is dependent on the number of new Covid-19 cases and the R rate which shows how quickly the disease is spreading .
Officials have stressed that outdoor activities are likely to restart earlier than indoors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , beach cafes and beer gardens are allowed to open first .
Businesses which can not easily enforce social distancing are at risk - suggesting rental homes may be better placed to attract holidaymakers than hotels .
Global hotel chains have already made moves to assure customers they are safe .
Marriott has introduced `` hospital-grade '' cleaning standards , Hyatt is handing out free masks and hand sanitiser to guests and Hilton is placing a seal on the door of rooms once they are cleaned to prove no one else has been @ @

Britons could be encouraged to take summer holidays within the UK in July and August if there is no second spike in Covid-19 cases, the Government has confirmed.
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden heralded a possible summer of staycations, saying that “the great British break” could make a return in as little as six weeks.
No 10’s plans for easing the lockdown would see holiday homes, campsites and hotels reopen from the start of July as long as the number of coronavirus cases continues to fall between now and then.
But officials have warned that holidays may have to take place within Britain because of restrictions on international travel and quarantine rules being introduced in the UK and abroad.
‘Great British break’
Mr Dowden told the daily Downing Street press conference on Wednesday: “I would love to get the tourism sector up as quickly as we possibly can. We’ve set this very ambitious plan to try and get it up and running by the beginning of July.
“Clearly, we can only do it if it’s safe to do so because I think the worst thing for our tourism sector would be to start, then see the R rate rise out of control, see a second peak that overwhelms the NHS that we then have to slam on the brakes again.”
He added: “Believe me, when we get to the point when we can have British tourism back, perhaps apart from the Prime Minister you won’t get a bigger champion of the great British break than me.”
The Government will soon introduce a 14-day quarantine for anyone arriving in the UK from overseas which could render foreign holidays almost impossible. Ministers have floated the possibility of building “air bridges” with other countries, allowing Britons to travel there and back without being quarantined, but it remains unclear whether other governments would welcome the prospect given the UK’s relatively high level of coronavirus infections.
‘Too early’
Other obstacles to foreign travel in the coming months could include the need for social distancing on planes, which would reduce their capacity and drive up the price of tickets.
A senior No 10 source said: “It’s much more likely that people will be able to have a holiday in this country than abroad. But when we will get to that point, it’s too early to say.” Reopening the hospitality industry is part of “step three” of the Government’s lockdown road map, which is pencilled in for 4 July but is dependent on the number of new Covid-19 cases and the R rate which shows how quickly the disease is spreading.
Read More The loss of hotel breakfast buffets is minor, but it shows Covid-19 will take away our simplest pleasures
Officials have stressed that outdoor activities are likely to restart earlier than indoors ones, which could mean that campsites, beach cafes and beer gardens are allowed to open first. Businesses which cannot easily enforce social distancing are at risk – suggesting rental homes may be better placed to attract holidaymakers than hotels.
Global hotel chains have already made moves to assure customers they are safe. Marriott has introduced “hospital-grade” cleaning standards, Hyatt is handing out free masks and hand sanitiser to guests and Hilton is placing a seal on the door of rooms once they are cleaned to prove no one else has been inside.


inews--2020-05-20--Premier League Project Restart latest: Saturday games should be shown on free-to-air TV, Culture Sec

Premier League Project Restart latest: Saturday games should be shown on free-to-air TV, Culture Secretary says

Premier League Project Restart latest : Saturday games should be shown on free-to-air TV , Culture Secretary says The Premier League is due to return behind closed doors in mid-June Oliver Dowden suggested that the league should sell the rights for Saturday matches to broadcasters such as the BBC and ITV , rather than keeping all games on subscription services .
Speaking at the daily Downing Street press conference , the minister pointed out that the law barring broadcasts of games on Saturday afternoon , designed to protect attendances at football grounds , would no longer be relevant when matches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dowden said : `` I think that creates an opportunity for us to be able to get some sport , some Premier League free-to-air .
Those discussions are ongoing .
I hope we can sort this out and I also hope then we can get some more money going into the sport of football .
I think we can find ourselves in a win-win situation . ''
Oliver Dowden said : ' I think that creates an opportunity for us to be able to get some sport , some Premier League free-to-air' There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free-to-air television since 1992 , with Sky and BT currently holding the rights to all games .
At the press conference Mr Dowden announced that the total number of confirmed deaths from coronavirus had reached 35,704 , with an additional 363 deaths on Wednesday .
The number of Covid-19 tests carried out was 177,216 , the highest number on any single day so far .
The Culture Secretary said that £150m from dormant bank accounts whose owners can not be traced would be given to charity in order to support organisations which risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding shortfall in recent weeks .
The money will include emergency loans for troubled charities , grants for young people who need help getting into work , and affordable credit for people who otherwise risk resorting to loan sharks .
He also announced the creation of a `` cultural renewal taskforce '' , which will help bodies such as museums , theatres and orchestras survive the Covid-19 crisis .
Some high-profile organisations such as Shakespeare 's Globe have warned they could collapse altogether because of an extreme shortage in funds as a result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` Normal life , as we have known it , is still clearly a long way off and the path to get there is a narrow one .
But these things will return , when it 's safe for them to do so , and thanks to the same drive and creativity that makes a great performance or a great piece of art . ''

Some Premier League games should be shown on free-to-air TV when football returns behind closed doors, the Culture Secretary has said.
Oliver Dowden suggested that the league should sell the rights for Saturday matches to broadcasters such as the BBC and ITV, rather than keeping all games on subscription services.
Speaking at the daily Downing Street press conference, the minister pointed out that the law barring broadcasts of games on Saturday afternoon, designed to protect attendances at football grounds, would no longer be relevant when matches are played in empty stadiums.
Mr Dowden said: “I think that creates an opportunity for us to be able to get some sport, some Premier League free-to-air. Those discussions are ongoing. I hope we can sort this out and I also hope then we can get some more money going into the sport of football. I think we can find ourselves in a win-win situation.”
Culture rescue
There has been no top-flight English football on free-to-air television since 1992, with Sky and BT currently holding the rights to all games.
At the press conference Mr Dowden announced that the total number of confirmed deaths from coronavirus had reached 35,704, with an additional 363 deaths on Wednesday. The number of Covid-19 tests carried out was 177,216, the highest number on any single day so far.
Read More: Serge Aurier responds to third lockdown breach as Tottenham launch investigation
The Culture Secretary said that £150m from dormant bank accounts whose owners cannot be traced would be given to charity in order to support organisations which risk collapse as a result of a serious funding shortfall in recent weeks. The money will include emergency loans for troubled charities, grants for young people who need help getting into work, and affordable credit for people who otherwise risk resorting to loan sharks.
He also announced the creation of a “cultural renewal taskforce”, which will help bodies such as museums, theatres and orchestras survive the Covid-19 crisis. Some high-profile organisations such as Shakespeare’s Globe have warned they could collapse altogether because of an extreme shortage in funds as a result of the lockdown.
Mr Dowden said: “Normal life, as we have known it, is still clearly a long way off and the path to get there is a narrow one. But these things will return, when it’s safe for them to do so, and thanks to the same drive and creativity that makes a great performance or a great piece of art.”


inews--2020-05-20--Don't lose sight of Brexit battle which will define the UK for years to come

Do n't lose sight of Brexit battle which will define the UK for years to come The two sides are still firing barbs at each other even if Brexit is staying off the front pages for now Remember Brexit ?
The days when front pages were dominated by the backstop , `` red lines '' and late-night Brussels summits seemed turbulent at the time , but appear quaint in the light of today 's more serious chaos .
The UK has left the EU , so even diehard Remainers have given up on overturning the referendum result .
The debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrangements , making it understandable that many of us have tuned out - especially given the world 's other events .
But it would be a mistake to ignore Brexit altogether .
Talks currently underway between British and EU negotiators may be technical in parts , but they will help determine the future of this country 's economy and constitution for years to come .
Right now , those negotiations seem stuck .
Boris Johnson 's point man David Frost is engaged in a war of words with Brussels envoy Michel Barnier : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to trap Britain in the EU 's orbit permanently , Mr Barnier hit back with a letter saying the UK was `` cherry picking '' from the single market and complaining about the other side 's `` tone '' .
Michel Barnier is leading the EU team in trade negotiations ( Photo : Getty ) This is partly down to the usual theatrical chest-beating which takes place in every negotiation .
But it also points to a genuine , fundamental difference between the two sides : the EU thinks that any trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ associate membership , following some Brussels regulations in exchange for better access to Europe 's markets than any other country gets .
The British Government , on the other hand , is adamant that its ties to the EU should be those of two equal partners , setting mutually beneficial rules on trade and security without needing to enter a more comprehensive agreement .
Officials insist they would rather see the talks collapse altogether than compromise those principles - although we 've heard that one before .
On Wednesday Parliament had a visit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the form of Theresa May .
In an unusually spiky intervention , the former Prime Minister pointed out that Boris Johnson 's Withdrawal Agreement means that Northern Ireland is `` required to follow EU regulations on certain goods until at least 2024 and potentially indefinitely '' .
Right now , the future of UK-EU relations is not at the top of most people 's priorities .
Like it or not , that will change in the months to come .

Remember Brexit? The days when front pages were dominated by the backstop, “red lines” and late-night Brussels summits seemed turbulent at the time, but appear quaint in the light of today’s more serious chaos.
The UK has left the EU, so even diehard Remainers have given up on overturning the referendum result. The debate now is over the details of trading arrangements, making it understandable that many of us have tuned out – especially given the world’s other events.
But it would be a mistake to ignore Brexit altogether. Talks currently underway between British and EU negotiators may be technical in parts, but they will help determine the future of this country’s economy and constitution for years to come.
Right now, those negotiations seem stuck. Boris Johnson’s point man David Frost is engaged in a war of words with Brussels envoy Michel Barnier: after Mr Frost accused his counterpart of trying to trap Britain in the EU’s orbit permanently, Mr Barnier hit back with a letter saying the UK was “cherry picking” from the single market and complaining about the other side’s “tone”.
This is partly down to the usual theatrical chest-beating which takes place in every negotiation. But it also points to a genuine, fundamental difference between the two sides: the EU thinks that any trade deal should effectively involve the UK keeping associate membership, following some Brussels regulations in exchange for better access to Europe’s markets than any other country gets.
The British Government, on the other hand, is adamant that its ties to the EU should be those of two equal partners, setting mutually beneficial rules on trade and security without needing to enter a more comprehensive agreement. Officials insist they would rather see the talks collapse altogether than compromise those principles – although we’ve heard that one before.
On Wednesday Parliament had a visit from the Ghost of Brexit Past in the form of Theresa May. In an unusually spiky intervention, the former Prime Minister pointed out that Boris Johnson’s Withdrawal Agreement means that Northern Ireland is “required to follow EU regulations on certain goods until at least 2024 and potentially indefinitely”.
Right now, the future of UK-EU relations is not at the top of most people’s priorities. Like it or not, that will change in the months to come.


inews--2020-05-20--When will schools open? 1 June school reopening plan explained for parents in England, including saf

When will schools open? 1 June school reopening plan explained for parents in England, including safety measures

When will schools open ?
1 June school reopening plan explained for parents in England , including safety measures What Boris Johnson 's plan for reopening schools in England means to parents The Government 's plan to reopen schools in England has run into controversy , with many local authorities and individual schools saying they will not reopen for the intended target date of 1 June .
How are schools being reopened ?
If its five tests are met the Government says it will move to ‘ step two ’ of exiting lockdown including reopening schools in England , from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will start with children in Reception , Year 1 and Year 6 , with the aim to have all primary pupils back for a month before the summer holidays .
The Government also wants Year 10 and 12 students to have time in school before the summer .
Other secondary students are unlikely to return this term .
The Justice Secretary Robert Buckland admitted not all schools will necessarily be in a position to reopen on 1 June ( Photo : Leon Neal/Getty ) What measures will be in place ?
The Government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduce the chance of infection .
Children will be kept in unchanging small groups - likened to “ protective bubbles ” - of no more than 15 pupils with the same teacher .
Desks will be spaced out as far apart as possible ( although the Government admits it might not be possible to keep the youngest children two metres apart ) .
There will be staggered drop-offs , breaks and pick-ups , one-way corridors and frequent hand washing and cleaning .
Soft furnishings , soft toys and other things which are hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Testing will be available to all children and staff , and if someone tests positive , the rest of their bubble will have to stay at home for two weeks .
The Government insists it is .
All the evidence suggests that children are the least affected by the coronavirus .
While some children have been affected by a serious inflammatory disease linked to Covid-19 , this is very rare , and doctors have said that in these cases children have generally responded well to treatment .
However , the big uncertainty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transmission .
The Government ’ s scientific advisers have said there is no evidence they transmit more than adults , and some evidence they transmit less , but this is not conclusive .
Teacher unions have said reopening schools too early could fuel infection in the community .
Are all children expected to attend ?
Children who are shielding because they are in the “ clinically extremely vulnerable ” category are not advised to attend .
Those with family members in this category will also not be expected to come in .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the “ clinically vulnerable ” category - such as a pregnant mother - the Government says they can attend .

The Government’s plan to reopen schools in England has run into controversy, with many local authorities and individual schools saying they will not reopen for the intended target date of 1 June.
While things are likely to vary on a regional and school by school basis, here are key points for parents about the Government’s plan.
How are schools being reopened?
If its five tests are met the Government says it will move to ‘step two’ of exiting lockdown including reopening schools in England, from 1 June at the earliest. It will start with children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, with the aim to have all primary pupils back for a month before the summer holidays. The Government also wants Year 10 and 12 students to have time in school before the summer. Other secondary students are unlikely to return this term.
What measures will be in place?
The Government has issued a host of guidelines to reduce the chance of infection. Children will be kept in unchanging small groups – likened to “protective bubbles” – of no more than 15 pupils with the same teacher. Desks will be spaced out as far apart as possible (although the Government admits it might not be possible to keep the youngest children two metres apart). There will be staggered drop-offs, breaks and pick-ups, one-way corridors and frequent hand washing and cleaning. Soft furnishings, soft toys and other things which are hard to clean will be removed from classrooms. Testing will be available to all children and staff, and if someone tests positive, the rest of their bubble will have to stay at home for two weeks.
Is it safe?
The Government insists it is. All the evidence suggests that children are the least affected by the coronavirus. While some children have been affected by a serious inflammatory disease linked to Covid-19, this is very rare, and doctors have said that in these cases children have generally responded well to treatment.
However, the big uncertainty remains around the role children play in transmission. The Government’s scientific advisers have said there is no evidence they transmit more than adults, and some evidence they transmit less, but this is not conclusive. Teacher unions have said reopening schools too early could fuel infection in the community.
Are all children expected to attend?
Children who are shielding because they are in the “clinically extremely vulnerable” category are not advised to attend. Those with family members in this category will also not be expected to come in. If a child lives with someone who is in the “clinically vulnerable” category – such as a pregnant mother – the Government says they can attend.
Will parents face sanctions for non-attendance?
No. Parents will not be fined if they decide to keep their children at home.


inews--2020-05-20--Propercorn co-founder: 'It wasn't until the coronavirus crisis that I realised how important company

Propercorn co-founder: 'It wasn't until the coronavirus crisis that I realised how important company culture is to my business'

Propercorn co-founder : 'It was n't until the coronavirus crisis that I realised how important company culture is to my business' Cassandra Stavrou argues that it 's not too late for businesses to improve Covid-19 has put massive strain on the bonds that hold together even the most tight-knit businesses .
Separated from one another physically , everyone is having to find ways to limit the separation personally and professionally .
As the lockdown eases , every business ’ s recovery will depend on how well it has maintained those bonds and how well it can strengthen them in future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have to find ways to close the personal distance that our physical distance from each other has created .
And challenge is a word that all businesses are painfully familiar with at the moment .
The last few months have been difficult for all of us .
Even the biggest businesses with the deepest pockets have been affected .
Among many other things , it 's been a challenge to look after the supply chain , plan for an uncertain future and communicate clearly with customers and clients—and this while making sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
This is where culture comes in .
And we can start by reclaiming the word .
It ’ s used cheaply in modern business ( file next to ‘ disruptor ’ ! )
.
Really , it ’ s in danger of becoming a hiring tool than a meaningful part of an organisation .
But culture isn ’ t pub quizzes or ping-pong .
It isn ’ t perks ( though they have their place ) .
It ’ s more complex than that—and more important .
When you get it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engages and motivates .
It ’ s about building something from within—something that ca n't be built through deadlines and reviews .
It makes your business both fun and functional .
It consists of all the unwritten rules , relationships and rhythms of the working day .
For at least 10 years , most business leaders have agreed it ’ s a ‘ good thing to have ’ .
Perks are n't everything and communication is key ( Photo : Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty ) But the truth is that until the coronavirus crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important culture would be .
It ’ s at the heart of how we ’ re navigating a way through this crisis .
The routines we ’ ve created have become our drumbeat , and the relationships we ’ ve formed and nurtured have allowed us to adjust in new and changing circumstances .
Culture has become our compass .
'Now is the time to lay those foundations' Though being in lockdown has made everything harder , it ’ s not too late for companies to invest in culture .
There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holiday are appreciated , of course , but trying to develop a strong culture this way is like building a house on sand .
And many of the things that have helped us to create our culture , from walking meetings to blasting out ‘ Careless Whisper ’ over the speakers every lunchtime , are now impossible .
There ’ s no one-size-fits-all with culture .
You can ’ t take what works at Proper or at any other business and map it onto another .
Every business has its own goals and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this , leaders can still start to lay the foundations of a strong culture by sticking to a few simple principles .
You can get to know your team and build trust within it .
You can nurture an atmosphere of shared responsibility—one in which every person understands how they fit into the wider context and how important they are individually to the success of the business .
You can set clear goals for your team and be really familiar with your purpose : you can rally your people around these aims to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means you have to talk openly , honestly and often with your people , too .
Communication is absolutely vital .
I ’ m not going to say that this is the perfect time to build a really healthy , really cohesive company culture .
It isn ’ t .
But that doesn ’ t mean companies shouldn ’ t start .
Now is the time to lay those foundations and to ask what you can do within your business , once things are back to relative normality , to create a real @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep everyone together and motivated even in the most testing and uncertain circumstances .
If you wait for the ‘ perfect time ' to get started , it might just be too late .

Cassandra Stavrou is the co-founder of Proper, the company behind snacks including Propercorn. Here she writes exclusively for i on what the pandemic has taught her about company culture.
Covid-19 has put massive strain on the bonds that hold together even the most tight-knit businesses. Separated from one another physically, everyone is having to find ways to limit the separation personally and professionally.
As the lockdown eases, every business’s recovery will depend on how well it has maintained those bonds and how well it can strengthen them in future. It’s a challenge. We have to find ways to close the personal distance that our physical distance from each other has created.
And challenge is a word that all businesses are painfully familiar with at the moment. The last few months have been difficult for all of us. Even the biggest businesses with the deepest pockets have been affected. Among many other things, it’s been a challenge to look after the supply chain, plan for an uncertain future and communicate clearly with customers and clients—and this while making sure the team feels supported during a difficult time.
‘Culture isn’t pub quizzes or ping-pong’
This is where culture comes in. And we can start by reclaiming the word. It’s used cheaply in modern business (file next to ‘disruptor’!). Really, it’s in danger of becoming a hiring tool than a meaningful part of an organisation. But culture isn’t pub quizzes or ping-pong. It isn’t perks (though they have their place). It’s more complex than that—and more important.
When you get it right, a company culture inspires, engages and motivates. It’s about building something from within—something that can’t be built through deadlines and reviews. It makes your business both fun and functional. It consists of all the unwritten rules, relationships and rhythms of the working day. For at least 10 years, most business leaders have agreed it’s a ‘good thing to have’.
When we set up Proper during the last financial crisis, it was obvious to us that the right way to run a company involved building a strong culture.
But the truth is that until the coronavirus crisis struck, I had no idea how important culture would be. It’s at the heart of how we’re navigating a way through this crisis. The routines we’ve created have become our drumbeat, and the relationships we’ve formed and nurtured have allowed us to adjust in new and changing circumstances. Culture has become our compass.
‘Now is the time to lay those foundations’
Though being in lockdown has made everything harder, it’s not too late for companies to invest in culture. There’s no quick fix here—Zoom drinks and extra holiday are appreciated, of course, but trying to develop a strong culture this way is like building a house on sand. And many of the things that have helped us to create our culture, from walking meetings to blasting out ‘Careless Whisper’ over the speakers every lunchtime, are now impossible.
There’s no one-size-fits-all with culture. You can’t take what works at Proper or at any other business and map it onto another. Every business has its own goals and structure. But at a time like this, leaders can still start to lay the foundations of a strong culture by sticking to a few simple principles.
You can get to know your team and build trust within it. You can nurture an atmosphere of shared responsibility—one in which every person understands how they fit into the wider context and how important they are individually to the success of the business. You can set clear goals for your team and be really familiar with your purpose: you can rally your people around these aims to bring them together. And all this means you have to talk openly, honestly and often with your people, too. Communication is absolutely vital.
I’m not going to say that this is the perfect time to build a really healthy, really cohesive company culture. It isn’t. But that doesn’t mean companies shouldn’t start. Now is the time to lay those foundations and to ask what you can do within your business, once things are back to relative normality, to create a real atmosphere of collective responsibility. That will keep everyone together and motivated even in the most testing and uncertain circumstances. If you wait for the ‘perfect time’ to get started, it might just be too late.


inews--2020-05-20--Post-Brexit trade deal: UK sets up Brexit clash with EU over plans for light-touch checks on goods g

Post-Brexit trade deal: UK sets up Brexit clash with EU over plans for light-touch checks on goods going from Great Britain to Northern Ireland

Post-Brexit trade deal : UK sets up Brexit clash with EU over plans for light-touch checks on goods going from Great Britain to Northern Ireland The Government said that all checks would be carried out by British officials with no role for the EU 's authorities Ministers confirmed that under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement , customs officers will monitor trade going from the rest of the UK to Northern Ireland , with firms having to fill in electronic forms .
But they have refused to allow the EU to set up its own customs post in Northern Ireland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to exercise `` discretion '' over checks in future .
It comes as EU envoy Michel Barnier is engaged in a public war of words with his British counterpart David Frost .
Introducing the UK 's plans to enforce the Northern Irish protocol , which is contained in the Withdrawal Agreement , Michael Gove said : `` There will need to be checks on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland , but these checks will be electronic and administered by our own officials . ''
Existing infrastructure at ports such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to allow more checks to take place .
Michael Gove said : 'There will need to be checks on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland ' ( Photo : Getty ) Boris Johnson has previously suggested that checks on goods crossing the Irish Sea would not be necessary .
Labour 's Rachel Reeves said : `` We welcome the statement today but it does expose the broken promises made by the Prime Minister . ''
Government documents state that there will be `` new administrative process for traders , notably new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and security information '' when items are transported from Great Britain to Northern Ireland , to ensure that goods which breach EU rules are not exported over the border to the Republic of Ireland .
But they add that British authorities will `` retain operational responsibility and are able to exercise discretion '' - with European officials allowed to carry out only very occasional spot checks .
The document suggests that overall the proportion of consignments subject to physical checks may be 1 per cent or less .
The Government has insisted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unfettered access '' to the rest of the UK , with no checks or declarations on goods going from west to east .
However , insiders say that only `` qualified firms '' will be able to avoid inspections - raising the prospect of another internal border being erected within the UK .
The British and EU chief negotiators have this week traded angry letters accusing each other of being disingenuous about their demands in trade talks .
Mr Barnier wrote to Mr Frost on Wednesday criticising his `` tone '' and warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a substitute for serious engagement and detailed negotiations '' .
He accused the British Government of `` cherry picking '' from previous trade agreements and insisted : `` The EU is looking to the future , not to the past , in these negotiations . ''
Mr Frost claims Brussels is demanding unprecedented levels of alignment which would see the UK following European rules indefinitely .

The UK Government faces a fresh Brexit showdown with Brussels after announcing plans for light-touch checks on goods crossing between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Ministers confirmed that under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, customs officers will monitor trade going from the rest of the UK to Northern Ireland, with firms having to fill in electronic forms.
But they have refused to allow the EU to set up its own customs post in Northern Ireland, and insist the UK will be able to exercise “discretion” over checks in future. It comes as EU envoy Michel Barnier is engaged in a public war of words with his British counterpart David Frost.
Introducing the UK’s plans to enforce the Northern Irish protocol, which is contained in the Withdrawal Agreement, Michael Gove said: “There will need to be checks on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, but these checks will be electronic and administered by our own officials.” Existing infrastructure at ports such as Belfast and Larne will be expanded to allow more checks to take place.
‘Broken promises’
Boris Johnson has previously suggested that checks on goods crossing the Irish Sea would not be necessary. Labour’s Rachel Reeves said: “We welcome the statement today but it does expose the broken promises made by the Prime Minister.”
Government documents state that there will be “new administrative process for traders, notably new electronic import declaration requirements, and safety and security information” when items are transported from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, to ensure that goods which breach EU rules are not exported over the border to the Republic of Ireland.
But they add that British authorities will “retain operational responsibility and are able to exercise discretion” – with European officials allowed to carry out only very occasional spot checks. The document suggests that overall the proportion of consignments subject to physical checks may be 1 per cent or less.
The Government has insisted that businesses in Northern Ireland will have “unfettered access” to the rest of the UK, with no checks or declarations on goods going from west to east. However, insiders say that only “qualified firms” will be able to avoid inspections – raising the prospect of another internal border being erected within the UK.
The British and EU chief negotiators have this week traded angry letters accusing each other of being disingenuous about their demands in trade talks. Mr Barnier wrote to Mr Frost on Wednesday criticising his “tone” and warning that public rows “cannot be a substitute for serious engagement and detailed negotiations”.
He accused the British Government of “cherry picking” from previous trade agreements and insisted: “The EU is looking to the future, not to the past, in these negotiations.” Mr Frost claims Brussels is demanding unprecedented levels of alignment which would see the UK following European rules indefinitely.


inews--2020-05-20--The only way to get through lockdown is to find a secret crush

The only way to get through lockdown is to find a secret crush I am currently very into Daisy Edgar-Jones 's fringe in Normal People What is the key to getting through lockdown ?
Clearly , if we allow ourselves to fantasise for a minute , it is a superpower that both renders you deaf to Boris ’ s incompetent blathering and helps you come up with a cure for coronavirus .
But adjust your ambitions for the real world and the obvious answer is a lockdown crush .
Yes , there are other techniques .
But they involve a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , numbs the emotional pain but induces physical suffering ( a hangover ) come morning .
However , a crush , one that you keep secret and under no account act on , has no consequences .
It merely provides a glimmer of frivolity and frisson in an otherwise grave time .
Currently between infatuations ?
Find one .
You ’ re hardly strapped for inspiration .
Thrill-starved millennials like me are swooning on social media over actor Paul Mescal ’ s coruscating performance in the TV adaptation of Normal People – or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chain his character wears .
I ’ m personally nursing strong feelings for the tousled fringe rocked by Mescal ’ s co-star , Daisy Edgar-Jones .
Elsewhere , The Devil Wears Prada actor Stanley Tucci nearly broke the internet by posting a video of himself making a negroni on Instagram .
Alright , on paper it doesn ’ t sound that seductive , but just watch it .
Forget the cocktail – one part Hollywood charisma and two parts Tucci ’ s nonchalant tone are a devastatingly potent mixture .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of those of us who live our lives less aggressively online .
But extensive research ( texting family and friends ) suggests Radio Four ’ s Today programme may be down on listeners , but it is up on sex symbols ; the crisis has apparently emphasised the well of eroticism that is Justin Webb ’ s fierce but unshowy intellect .
I ’ ve also heard shout-outs for Meryl Streep and the Archbishop of Canterbury .
The Archbishop of Canterbury is a possible choice .
( Photo : Kirsty O'Connor/PA Wire ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest right now , but as long as you ’ re discreet , it ’ s the perfect distraction .
It ’ s also a reminder of the powers of imagination .
No matter how tediously wholesome your locked down life is , you ’ re but a daydream away from debauchery .

What is the key to getting through lockdown? Clearly, if we allow ourselves to fantasise for a minute, it is a superpower that both renders you deaf to Boris’s incompetent blathering and helps you come up with a cure for coronavirus. But adjust your ambitions for the real world and the obvious answer is a lockdown crush.
Yes, there are other techniques. But they involve a price. Heavy drinking, for instance, numbs the emotional pain but induces physical suffering (a hangover) come morning. However, a crush, one that you keep secret and under no account act on, has no consequences. It merely provides a glimmer of frivolity and frisson in an otherwise grave time. Currently between infatuations? Find one.
You’re hardly strapped for inspiration. Thrill-starved millennials like me are swooning on social media over actor Paul Mescal’s coruscating performance in the TV adaptation of Normal People – or, more specifically, the sexy little chain his character wears. I’m personally nursing strong feelings for the tousled fringe rocked by Mescal’s co-star, Daisy Edgar-Jones.
Elsewhere, The Devil Wears Prada actor Stanley Tucci nearly broke the internet by posting a video of himself making a negroni on Instagram. Alright, on paper it doesn’t sound that seductive, but just watch it. Forget the cocktail – one part Hollywood charisma and two parts Tucci’s nonchalant tone are a devastatingly potent mixture.
May this video of Stanley Tucci doing a cocktail masterclass be a blessing upon your twitter feed. pic.twitter.com/62R1TjsAqA — Nerd Girl Says (@Rachael_Conrad) April 21, 2020
It’s harder to determine who populates the fantasies of those of us who live our lives less aggressively online. But extensive research (texting family and friends) suggests Radio Four’s Today programme may be down on listeners, but it is up on sex symbols; the crisis has apparently emphasised the well of eroticism that is Justin Webb’s fierce but unshowy intellect. I’ve also heard shout-outs for Meryl Streep and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
A crush may seem like a trivial interest right now, but as long as you’re discreet, it’s the perfect distraction.
It’s also a reminder of the powers of imagination. No matter how tediously wholesome your locked down life is, you’re but a daydream away from debauchery.
Under lockdown, there’s no escape but plenty of escapism.


inews--2020-05-20--Coronavirus lockdown has unleashed our love of fiendish quizzes

Coronavirus lockdown has unleashed our love of fiendish quizzes It is brilliant when people display an incredible knowledge of something you had assumed was completely outside their comfort zone In what year did George Orwell write 1984 ?
If Cambridge is 11 and Dover is 2 , what number is Oxford ?
What word is an anagram of coronavirus ?
* Last Friday evening , a captain of industry , a Hollywood film star , one of Britain ’ s most eminent radiologists , a legend of public relations , a self-styled Colonel and a titan of British cinema were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answers to these questions .
All around the country , a similar thing was happening – eclectic groups of people brought together on Zoom to take part in what has become the craze of coronatime – the virtual pub quiz .
Our Friday night quiz has become the highlight of our social life .
In fact , it is our social life .
And far beyond the need to demonstrate how clever we are , or how competitive , or how deep is our fount of arcane knowledge , the quiz satisfies our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ craving to have a shared experience beyond our own household .
Heaven knows what we would have done if lockdown had arrived before Zoom and its like had been invented .
In normal times , more than half of our 40,000 pubs are running quizzes , with a network of local and national leagues .
No reason , therefore , that , while we have the technology , this obsession shouldn ’ t survive lockdown .
And so it was that 182,000 people recently took part in a virtual pub quiz , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greenfield pub in Darwen , Lancashire , but became such a unlikely viral sensation that , over the weeks of lockdown , it broke the world record for online quizzes , raised more than £150,000 for the NHS and attracted such notables as Judi Dench and Stephen Fry .
There is an art , as well as a science , to setting a quiz and , having been a quizmaster several times with varying degrees of success , I think it can be summarised thus : a good quiz question is one where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the answer , you want to know it .
There is a delight , too , in seeing people out of their comfort zone .
Finding that a professor of classics knows who was ejected from Love Island , or that your football mate is conversant with the works of Jane Austen .
Or discovering , as I did in our quiz last week , that your partner knows all about Juvenal .
Who knew ?
Well , she did .
A typical example of this was a quiz I set a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Club in London .
For each team , I produced six bowls of crisps , all of different flavours .
The team members had to identify exactly – and I mean exactly – each variety of crisp .
To see a world-famous artist and a pop star arguing over whether a flavour was cheese and onion or pickled onion was the highlight of the evening .
Such ostensibly meaningless disputes are a feature of our weekly quiz , too , so much so that the “ mute all ” button has to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the closest we will get to a night out for some time , and we – like much of the country – are determined to make the most of it , arguing , joking , drinking and , most of all , trying to show what clever clogs we are .

In what year did George Orwell write 1984? If Cambridge is 11 and Dover is 2, what number is Oxford? What word is an anagram of coronavirus?*
Last Friday evening, a captain of industry, a Hollywood film star, one of Britain’s most eminent radiologists, a legend of public relations, a self-styled Colonel and a titan of British cinema were among a small gathering puzzling over the answers to these questions.
All around the country, a similar thing was happening – eclectic groups of people brought together on Zoom to take part in what has become the craze of coronatime – the virtual pub quiz.
Our Friday night quiz has become the highlight of our social life. In fact, it is our social life. And far beyond the need to demonstrate how clever we are, or how competitive, or how deep is our fount of arcane knowledge, the quiz satisfies our simple need for human contact, our craving to have a shared experience beyond our own household.
Heaven knows what we would have done if lockdown had arrived before Zoom and its like had been invented.
Beyond its appeal as a communal activity, the British have a penchant for the pleasure of quizzing.
In normal times, more than half of our 40,000 pubs are running quizzes, with a network of local and national leagues. No reason, therefore, that, while we have the technology, this obsession shouldn’t survive lockdown.
And so it was that 182,000 people recently took part in a virtual pub quiz, which had been designed for locals at the Greenfield pub in Darwen, Lancashire, but became such a unlikely viral sensation that, over the weeks of lockdown, it broke the world record for online quizzes, raised more than £150,000 for the NHS and attracted such notables as Judi Dench and Stephen Fry.
There is an art, as well as a science, to setting a quiz and, having been a quizmaster several times with varying degrees of success, I think it can be summarised thus: a good quiz question is one where, if you don’t know the answer, you want to know it. There is a delight, too, in seeing people out of their comfort zone.
Finding that a professor of classics knows who was ejected from Love Island, or that your football mate is conversant with the works of Jane Austen. Or discovering, as I did in our quiz last week, that your partner knows all about Juvenal. Who knew? Well, she did.
A typical example of this was a quiz I set a few years ago for members of the Groucho Club in London. For each team, I produced six bowls of crisps, all of different flavours. The team members had to identify exactly – and I mean exactly – each variety of crisp. To see a world-famous artist and a pop star arguing over whether a flavour was cheese and onion or pickled onion was the highlight of the evening.
Such ostensibly meaningless disputes are a feature of our weekly quiz, too, so much so that the “mute all” button has to be employed at regular intervals. But it’s the closest we will get to a night out for some time, and we – like much of the country – are determined to make the most of it, arguing, joking, drinking and, most of all, trying to show what clever clogs we are.
*1948; 40 (motorways are the clue); Carnivorous.


inews--2020-05-20--Susie Dent: We will always remember the language of touch

Susie Dent : We will always remember the language of touch In a world where physical contact has become a threat , we will instinctively reach out to one another as soon as we are allowed “ Touch has a memory , ” wrote Keats , in a poem whose narrator is desperate to forget how it feels to hold someone you love .
For many of us now , our own memories of touch are re-lived in photos of the old normal : stalled pictures of hugs and holds that were so much part of everyday life we never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has always had a broad sweep .
‘ Touch ’ itself has a vast entry in the Oxford English Dictionary , a stream of both joy and pain .
A legacy of the Normans , replacing the Old English rine , it has variously meant making contact with something , having sex , influencing , testing for gold , masturbating , running aground , getting drunk , bribing , playing a musical instrument , eating , drinking and hitting .
A zoo hostess holds two Dutch rabbits for some young visitors at theChildren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Park , London in 1959 ( Photo : William Vanderson/Fox Photos/Getty Images ) Not all touches are equal .
Who does the touching is , of course , key – a massage chair can no more replicate the hands of a masseur than we can tickle ourselves .
The right kind of touch releases oxytocin and reduces cortisol – it also , ironically , boosts immunity : studies suggest those exposed to a virus are more likely to recover quickly if they receive hugs every day .
Our vocabulary is full of tactile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see someone , ‘ itch ’ to give them a hug are ‘ hurt ’ when we can ’ t .
Touch is both intimacy and power .
For a 17th-century victim of the ‘ king ’ s evil ’ – a lymphatic disease known as scrofula – the hand of the monarch was believed to bring immediate relief .
King Charles II , a scientist and founder of the Royal Society , touched on average between 3,000 and 4,000 people a year at the Banqueting House in Whitehall .
A century later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horribly disfigured by scrofula as a child , sought the healing hand of Queen Anne .
In the same period , the first to be described as ‘ touchy ’ were pained by physical contact , as if their offenders were wilfully irritating a sore .
This arc of pleasure and punishment , cure and destruction , runs through the lexicon of touch .
A stroke can be the softest sweep of the hand , or a deadly attack on the brain .
The metaphor on which the medical stroke was built is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is a shortening of the medieval ‘ stroke of God ’ s hand ’ .
The feel of a soft blanket over the scorched grass ( Photo : TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images ) ‘ Hug ’ is a simpler word , which seems to have been a gift from the Vikings – not widely known for their loving embrace – and their word hugga , ‘ to comfort ’ ( a sibling perhaps of the Danish hygge , the Scandi cosiness that warms our toes every winter ) .
But hug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so much a loving clasp , its early uses referred to a bear squeezing a man or dog to death , a somewhat grisly ancestor of the bear hugs we crave today .
When we try to ‘ fathom ’ something today , or measure fathoms of water , we overlook the earliest sense of the word : the length of two arms outstretched in an embrace .
The idea of fathoming knowledge by hugging it , or of sounding the ocean depths by reaching out our arms , suggests how much we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact .

“Touch has a memory,” wrote Keats, in a poem whose narrator is desperate to forget how it feels to hold someone you love. For many of us now, our own memories of touch are re-lived in photos of the old normal: stalled pictures of hugs and holds that were so much part of everyday life we never even noticed.
In a world where touch – even of our own faces – is a threat, contact is no longer intuitive but carefully controlled, as hit home in a video last weekend of one man hugging his grandmother through a corona cuddle curtain.
The release of emotion as they squeezed each other, albeit via a see-through sheet of plastic, was palpable even on my smeary, over-disinfected screen, the medium of strictly no-touch communication for weeks.
This is the literal and the metaphorical divide: in the past eight weeks, we have been consigned to expressing feelings without being allowed to feel, to being touched without the touching.
The double life of these words seems oddly fitting.
The language of touch has always had a broad sweep. ‘Touch’ itself has a vast entry in the Oxford English Dictionary, a stream of both joy and pain. A legacy of the Normans, replacing the Old English rine, it has variously meant making contact with something, having sex, influencing, testing for gold, masturbating, running aground, getting drunk, bribing, playing a musical instrument, eating, drinking and hitting.
From the 17th century onwards, touching could also be non-physical: the kind that stirs the heart and mind – but not too much, in case you become ‘touched in the head’.
Such complexity is perhaps not surprising. Touch is the first of the senses to develop, and the last to leave: we are aware of it even as we slip into unconsciousness.
Its effect is all-encompassing: cognitive, behavioural, emotional, physical. In Touch: The Science of Hand, Heart, and Mind, the neuroscientist David Linden marvels at the effects of multiple forms of contact, from the essential touch that newborns need to thrive, or the electric touch of romantic love to the caring touch of a doctor.
Touch can provoke delight and disgust. Each and every one of our touch sensations ‘flow from the evolved nature of our skin, nerves, and brain’. In modern terms, touching gives us all the feels.
Not all touches are equal. Who does the touching is, of course, key – a massage chair can no more replicate the hands of a masseur than we can tickle ourselves. The right kind of touch releases oxytocin and reduces cortisol – it also, ironically, boosts immunity: studies suggest those exposed to a virus are more likely to recover quickly if they receive hugs every day.
Research in the US suggests that touch can improve the performance of basketballers: the more players give each other on-court chest bumps, high-fives and shoulder claps, the better the result.
This recognition of the powers of touch is far from new. Linden writes of the belief of the Native American Navajo that our life forces, the Spirit Winds, emanate from the fingers, hence the swirling patterns of our fingerprints.
Our vocabulary is full of tactile description: we ‘ache’ to see someone, ‘itch’ to give them a hug, are ‘hurt’ when we can’t. Touch is both intimacy and power. For a 17th-century victim of the ‘king’s evil’ – a lymphatic disease known as scrofula – the hand of the monarch was believed to bring immediate relief.
King Charles II, a scientist and founder of the Royal Society, touched on average between 3,000 and 4,000 people a year at the Banqueting House in Whitehall. A century later, Samuel Johnson, who had been horribly disfigured by scrofula as a child, sought the healing hand of Queen Anne. In the same period, the first to be described as ‘touchy’ were pained by physical contact, as if their offenders were wilfully irritating a sore.
This arc of pleasure and punishment, cure and destruction, runs through the lexicon of touch. A stroke can be the softest sweep of the hand, or a deadly attack on the brain. The metaphor on which the medical stroke was built is one of divine chastisement or vengeance – it is a shortening of the medieval ‘stroke of God’s hand’.
‘Hug’ is a simpler word, which seems to have been a gift from the Vikings – not widely known for their loving embrace – and their word hugga, ‘to comfort’ (a sibling perhaps of the Danish hygge, the Scandi cosiness that warms our toes every winter). But hug too has a prickly past – not so much a loving clasp, its early uses referred to a bear squeezing a man or dog to death, a somewhat grisly ancestor of the bear hugs we crave today.
‘Embrace’, at least is without edge, a nod to the bras or arms of the French that are still wrapped around their word for kissing, embrasser. For the Germans, a hug is simply an Umarmung, or ‘arms-around’.
Other English words carry the caress of the past more lightly, though their stories underscore the significance of touch. An ‘accolade’, a sibling of ‘collar’, was originally a royal hug, bestowed when honouring a knight in the years before a cold sword became the thing.
When we try to ‘fathom’ something today, or measure fathoms of water, we overlook the earliest sense of the word: the length of two arms outstretched in an embrace. The idea of fathoming knowledge by hugging it, or of sounding the ocean depths by reaching out our arms, suggests how much we reference our world by degrees of human contact.
Now, while we remain resolutely out of touch, there is some comfort in the knowledge that this is a language we can never unlearn – we will act out its meanings the moment we’re allowed. Until then, as Keats knew, touch has a long memory. Sometimes, even a lexicographer will tell you, words just aren’t enough.
Susie Dent is a lexicographer and etymologist. She has appeared in “Dictionary Corner” on Countdown since 1992


inews--2020-05-20--Coronavirus latest: Not all schools in England will be able to reopen on 1 June, Robert Buckland adm

Coronavirus latest: Not all schools in England will be able to reopen on 1 June, Robert Buckland admits

Coronavirus latest : Not all schools in England will be able to reopen on 1 June , Robert Buckland admits Justice Secretary strikes conciliatory tone to those resisting the Government 's 1 June target Schools across England are unlikely to take a `` uniform '' approach to reopening and some may not be ready for 1 June , a Cabinet minister has admitted .
Under government plans , if the coronavirus infection rate is under control pupils in Reception , Year 1 and Year 6 could return to primary school on 1 June at the earliest as part of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been largely unoccupied since March ( Photo : Getty ) Sunderland City Council also expressed concern with Labour leader councillor Graeme Miller suggesting sending more pupils back to school next month is “ premature ” given the Covid-19 infection level in the area .
He told BBC Breakfast : “ We ’ re all working towards June 1 and planning for that return , but I accept the point that there may well be issues from employers that need to be addressed which might not mean we ’ ll see a uniform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the BBC ’ s Today programme , he said “ Conversations are continuing between the Government and teachers ’ representatives , and in some settings arrangements are being made which lead to a high degree of confidence that the risk can be managed and the setting can be safe .
“ Clearly , other employers feel that is not the case and I think we have to respect and understand that and remember that June 1 was a conditional date.
” One of the key demands of unions has been that an effective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in place prior to schools opening .
While Boris Johnson insisted in the House of Commons that this would be ready by 1 June , Mr Buckland admitted the Government ’ s contact tracing app will not be “ fully developed ” in England for several weeks .
Judith Blake , the chair of the LGA ’ s children and young people board and leader of Leeds City Council , said : “ As there are different Covid-19 infection rates around the country , schools and councils must be able to work together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to more children .
Some areas may want to work faster than others.
” She said councils also needed “ crucial testing data to be shared with them , to help enable greater confidence for teachers and parents around school openings ” .

Schools across England are unlikely to take a “uniform” approach to reopening and some may not be ready for 1 June, a Cabinet minister has admitted.
Robert Buckland, the Justice Secretary, said the Government would have to “respect” local decisions.
Under government plans, if the coronavirus infection rate is under control pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 could return to primary school on 1 June at the earliest as part of a phased reopening.
However, the Government has faced resistance from teacher unions and a growing number of local authorities.
No ‘uniform approach’
Those which have raised concerns include Liverpool, Wirral, Bury, Hartlepool, Calderdale, Solihull, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Stockport, Slough and Brighton and Hove.
Sunderland City Council also expressed concern with Labour leader councillor Graeme Miller suggesting sending more pupils back to school next month is “premature” given the Covid-19 infection level in the area.
The comments from Mr Buckland on Wednesday marked a shift towards a more conciliatory tone from the Government.
He told BBC Breakfast: “We’re all working towards June 1 and planning for that return, but I accept the point that there may well be issues from employers that need to be addressed which might not mean we’ll see a uniform approach on June 1.”
‘Respect’ decisions
Later on the BBC’s Today programme, he said “Conversations are continuing between the Government and teachers’ representatives, and in some settings arrangements are being made which lead to a high degree of confidence that the risk can be managed and the setting can be safe.
“Clearly, other employers feel that is not the case and I think we have to respect and understand that and remember that June 1 was a conditional date.”
One of the key demands of unions has been that an effective test, track and trace regime is in place prior to schools opening.
Call for flexibility
While Boris Johnson insisted in the House of Commons that this would be ready by 1 June, Mr Buckland admitted the Government’s contact tracing app will not be “fully developed” in England for several weeks.
The Local Government Association called for the Government to allow flexibility on reopening.
Judith Blake, the chair of the LGA’s children and young people board and leader of Leeds City Council, said: “As there are different Covid-19 infection rates around the country, schools and councils must be able to work together to decide how and when schools open to more children. Some areas may want to work faster than others.”
She said councils also needed “crucial testing data to be shared with them, to help enable greater confidence for teachers and parents around school openings”.
The Scottish Government has refused to set a date for reopening schools. Last week First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said ministers would not take a “cavalier” approach to deciding when to reopen them.


inews--2020-05-20--Coronavirus has paused our environmentally destructive lifestyles - let's do things differently in t

Coronavirus has paused our environmentally destructive lifestyles - let's do things differently in the future

Coronavirus has paused our environmentally destructive lifestyles - let 's do things differently in the future We live in a society in which our sense of status is intimately connected to our possessions - we need to change our values How quickly should we relax Covid-19 lockdowns ?
While governments would like us to believe that this is a question that will be answered by the best available science , in reality it will be a fudge involving conflicting factors .
This could be grossly simplified to having to decide between saving the economy or people ’ s lives , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not afford to continue to shutter large parts of the UK economy .
But that begs the question , what is the economy for ?
Clearly the economy does not work for many people .
Someone working multiple zero-hours jobs who still can not earn enough to feed their family is symptomatic of a system that does not provide for all .
But there is a deeper dysfunction in our current economic system that was I think best summarised by economist Tim Jackson .
“ People are persuaded to spend money we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we don ’ t need , to create impressions that won ’ t last , on people we don ’ t care about ” .
We live in a society in which our sense of wellbeing and status is intimately connected to how much materials and energy we consume .
You may argue that has been the case throughout all of human history .
Live spruce and dead spruce , which change color due to the persistent dry weather and elevated temperatures , in the Harz mountain regionnear Wernigerode , Germany .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) The idea of Build Back Better is increasing in popularity as more people consider how we could avoid simply reverting back to our previously destructive behaviours once the pandemic has passed .
This is currently focused on areas such as transport , energy infrastructure , and systems of governance .
I would propose behavioural change should be at the heart of this , and not just in terms of taking fewer flights , or switching from a petrol to an electric car .
We must acknowledge that the more possessions we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the thing that matters most to us , which is other people .
How many years do we waste working to amass ever more stuff ?
Running ever faster just to keep up .
Yet no one reached for the latest smartphone , or new car in their dying moments .
They sought out human contact because at the very last moment we are unable to deny a truth about ourselves , which is that we are fundamentally a social species .
We derive meaning and purpose from our relationships with other people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is important to our feelings of self-esteem and value .
Increased automation is challenging this .
But this does not mean we should turn ourselves into robots .
The reality is there are more than enough resources for everyone on Earth to have good lives .
The problem is there are vast inequalities as to how these are distributed .
These inequalities are not inevitable .
They are the result of policies and practices that we can change .
Just as we can change our own behaviours .

How quickly should we relax Covid-19 lockdowns? While governments would like us to believe that this is a question that will be answered by the best available science, in reality it will be a fudge involving conflicting factors.
This could be grossly simplified to having to decide between saving the economy or people’s lives, with the implicit assumption that we simply cannot afford to continue to shutter large parts of the UK economy.
But that begs the question, what is the economy for? Clearly the economy does not work for many people. Someone working multiple zero-hours jobs who still cannot earn enough to feed their family is symptomatic of a system that does not provide for all.
But there is a deeper dysfunction in our current economic system that was I think best summarised by economist Tim Jackson. “People are persuaded to spend money we don’t have, on things we don’t need, to create impressions that won’t last, on people we don’t care about”.
We live in a society in which our sense of wellbeing and status is intimately connected to how much materials and energy we consume. You may argue that has been the case throughout all of human history.
But the hyper-consumption in developed nations risks the collapse of significant fractions of the biosphere and our civilisation with it.
Despite the increasingly clear warning signs that we are approaching climate breakdown, we are still locked into a consumption mindset. A mindset powerfully maintained by advertising and marketing industries.
As well as working to ensure we crave new products, they also work to hide the true cost of our consumption.
The things we value – our cars, clothes, homes, smartphones – all require energy to make, transport, and operate, energy which is still largely provided by climate-wrecking fossil fuels.
Covid-19 has paused some of this behaviour. Could we do things differently?
The idea of Build Back Better is increasing in popularity as more people consider how we could avoid simply reverting back to our previously destructive behaviours once the pandemic has passed. This is currently focused on areas such as transport, energy infrastructure, and systems of governance.
I would propose behavioural change should be at the heart of this, and not just in terms of taking fewer flights, or switching from a petrol to an electric car.
We need to urgently consider how we find value in our lives and that means reassessing our consumption.
We must acknowledge that the more possessions we have, the more we insulate ourselves from the thing that matters most to us, which is other people. How many years do we waste working to amass ever more stuff? Running ever faster just to keep up. Yet no one reached for the latest smartphone, or new car in their dying moments.
They sought out human contact because at the very last moment we are unable to deny a truth about ourselves, which is that we are fundamentally a social species. We derive meaning and purpose from our relationships with other people. This includes our work, which is important to our feelings of self-esteem and value. Increased automation is challenging this. But this does not mean we should turn ourselves into robots.
We should be neither slaves to work or consumption.
The reality is there are more than enough resources for everyone on Earth to have good lives. The problem is there are vast inequalities as to how these are distributed. These inequalities are not inevitable. They are the result of policies and practices that we can change. Just as we can change our own behaviours.


inews--2020-05-20--Janelle Monae on Homecoming: ‘There aren't a lot of black women leading TV right now'

Janelle Monae on Homecoming : ‘ There are n't a lot of black women leading TV right now' The cast and creators of Amazon 's hit mystery series on representing black war veterans and the difficulties of creating a brand new story Joining an established television series must be daunting for any actor .
So to do that and replace someone like Julia Roberts must be terrifying .
“ It really helped me sharpen my sword as an actor , ” says Janelle Monáe , who is taking on the lead role in the second series of Homecoming on Amazon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zoom , at the end of what has been a three-and-a-half-hour call with the show ’ s cast and crew , but Monáe is still excited to talk .
“ Julia Roberts is an icon .
I am such a fan of hers .
I ’ d watched the first season and listened to the podcast and I just loved the tone of the whole show , even down to how the credits play while the camera is still rolling.
” In Homecoming , Monáe plays Jackie , a woman who wakes up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a lake with no recollection of who she is or how she got there .
She finds some clues in her pocket – a veteran ’ s ID card and a photo of herself with presumed comrades , though each of their faces has been crossed out .
To reveal any more would be a huge , show-ruining spoiler but anyone who watched the first series , led by Roberts , will recognise some familiar themes , despite the change in narrative .
Monáe , 34 , is primarily a musician – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dirty Computer , topped several “ record of the year ” lists and won her two Grammy nominations – but has had parts in films , such as Hidden Figures , Harriet and the Oscar-winning Moonlight .
For her , the two disciplines complement one another .
“ Vulnerability is key , whether it ’ s an album or a show , ” she says .
“ I ’ m an open wound every time I go into a new project .
I always admit that I don ’ t know what the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ choose the colours I want to paint with from there .
It takes a lot of spirit work to make Janelle Monáe – the artist on stage performing at a concert – unseen.
” Monae plays Jackie , a woman who wakes up not knowing who she is ( Photo : Amazon ) Eli Horowitz and Micah Bloomberg , co-creators of the podcast and TV show , had hoped to cast Monáe in the first series .
Due to scheduling clashes , it never happened , which they now see as a blessing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ character who plays lots of different roles herself , ” says Bloomberg .
“ Janelle is so perfect for that because she can effortlessly inhabit these different modes and looks.
” Much of Monáe ’ s music is performed under her cyborg alter-ego , Cyndi Mayweather .
“ She takes on so many forms across our media landscape.
” It is , in part , because of the power of Monáe ’ s performance that this series feels totally separate from the first .
“ We always knew we wanted to tell a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ central character , but everything else was up for grabs , ” explains Horowitz .
Bloomberg adds : “ We never had a thesis statement of concepts but we did want to explore how large institutions , corporations and governments work .
We wanted to get away from the idea that they are all-knowing monoliths and present them as a group of individuals , each with their own fears and ambitions.
” Alvarez had already watched the first series twice as a regular viewer and jumped at the chance to make his mark @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best kind of burden , ” he says .
“ Sam never rested on his laurels or took the easy way out , so it was a challenge but also the kind of job I ’ d been dreaming of.
” Thanks to the success of the first run , which was nominated for three Golden Globes and an Emmy , Alvarez had TV ’ s greatest tricks at his disposal .
“ If I asked for a helicopter , [ the production company ] would get one .
If I asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a river , they ’ d do it .
We had all sorts of wild camera rigs and strange pulley systems .
Usually you have to fight for that stuff.
” Stephan James plays Walter Cruz in both seasons , a young soldier with PTSD who is administered the memory-erasing drug without his knowledge , while in the Homecoming programme .
“ I definitely had to do my homework , as far as what [ PTSD ] meant and the different everyday trials and tribulations that a soldier coming back from war might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ James .
“ This season sees Walter get his power back .
He ’ s not naive or vulnerable any more.
” After playing Walter for a series , James is now hyper-aware of his character ’ s identity as a black veteran .
“ I didn ’ t fully grasp until after filming that Walter wasn ’ t written with a specific race , ” says James .
“ But too often do we get to see the story told from a Caucasian character ’ s perspective , and we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ veteran means in the context of being a black man .
I didn ’ t take that lightly.
” Stephan James returns as Walter for the second series ( Photo : Amazon ) “ There are not a lot of black women leading TV right now , ” says Monáe .
She says she is grateful , then , to have been offered such a role .
“ The show asks important questions : what resources are we giving [ veterans ] financially , spiritually or emotionally ?
How are we there for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be there for them more ?
” The show speaks to the allure of power , and what we ’ ll do to keep hold of it , a subject Monáe feels is particularly relevant in the US .
With a president presiding over an increasingly secretive and dystopian America , the most deplorable elements of Homecoming feel as though they could actually happen .

Joining an established television series must be daunting for any actor. So to do that and replace someone like Julia Roberts must be terrifying. “It really helped me sharpen my sword as an actor,” says Janelle Monáe, who is taking on the lead role in the second series of Homecoming on Amazon Prime Video. We’re chatting over Zoom, at the end of what has been a three-and-a-half-hour call with the show’s cast and crew, but Monáe is still excited to talk. “Julia Roberts is an icon. I am such a fan of hers. I’d watched the first season and listened to the podcast and I just loved the tone of the whole show, even down to how the credits play while the camera is still rolling.”
In Homecoming, Monáe plays Jackie, a woman who wakes up on a rowing boat in the middle of a lake with no recollection of who she is or how she got there. She finds some clues in her pocket – a veteran’s ID card and a photo of herself with presumed comrades, though each of their faces has been crossed out. To reveal any more would be a huge, show-ruining spoiler but anyone who watched the first series, led by Roberts, will recognise some familiar themes, despite the change in narrative.
The Homecoming story was first introduced as a dramatic podcast in 2016, with an impressive cast of Catherine Keener, Oscar Isaac and David Schwimmer. Much like season one of the television show, this series is about a memory-deleting drug administered to unwitting war veterans treated as guinea pigs by a company called Geist, as part of its Homecoming programme.
Monáe, 34, is primarily a musician – her third album, 2018’s Dirty Computer, topped several “record of the year” lists and won her two Grammy nominations – but has had parts in films, such as Hidden Figures, Harriet and the Oscar-winning Moonlight. For her, the two disciplines complement one another. “Vulnerability is key, whether it’s an album or a show,” she says. “I’m an open wound every time I go into a new project. I always admit that I don’t know what the hell I’m doing and then choose the colours I want to paint with from there. It takes a lot of spirit work to make Janelle Monáe – the artist on stage performing at a concert – unseen.”
Eli Horowitz and Micah Bloomberg, co-creators of the podcast and TV show, had hoped to cast Monáe in the first series. Due to scheduling clashes, it never happened, which they now see as a blessing in disguise. “Jackie is a character who plays lots of different roles herself,” says Bloomberg. “Janelle is so perfect for that because she can effortlessly inhabit these different modes and looks.” Much of Monáe’s music is performed under her cyborg alter-ego, Cyndi Mayweather. “She takes on so many forms across our media landscape.”
“I find her spellbinding,” agrees Sam Esmail, director of the first series who has returned as executive producer. “She’s so mysterious, which serves the story so well.”
It is, in part, because of the power of Monáe’s performance that this series feels totally separate from the first. “We always knew we wanted to tell a new, complete story with a new central character, but everything else was up for grabs,” explains Horowitz. Bloomberg adds: “We never had a thesis statement of concepts but we did want to explore how large institutions, corporations and governments work. We wanted to get away from the idea that they are all-knowing monoliths and present them as a group of individuals, each with their own fears and ambitions.”
Monáe wasn’t the only newcomer on set. Kyle Patrick Alvarez (The Stanford Prison Experiment) came on board as director, since Esmail was busy prepping for the final series of his other hit show, Mr. Robot.
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Alvarez had already watched the first series twice as a regular viewer and jumped at the chance to make his mark on the show. “It was the best kind of burden,” he says. “Sam never rested on his laurels or took the easy way out, so it was a challenge but also the kind of job I’d been dreaming of.”
Thanks to the success of the first run, which was nominated for three Golden Globes and an Emmy, Alvarez had TV’s greatest tricks at his disposal. “If I asked for a helicopter, [the production company] would get one. If I asked to do this crazy overhead shot of a river, they’d do it. We had all sorts of wild camera rigs and strange pulley systems. Usually you have to fight for that stuff.”
Stephan James plays Walter Cruz in both seasons, a young soldier with PTSD who is administered the memory-erasing drug without his knowledge, while in the Homecoming programme. “I definitely had to do my homework, as far as what [PTSD] meant and the different everyday trials and tribulations that a soldier coming back from war might have to deal with,” says James. “This season sees Walter get his power back. He’s not naive or vulnerable any more.”
After playing Walter for a series, James is now hyper-aware of his character’s identity as a black veteran. “I didn’t fully grasp until after filming that Walter wasn’t written with a specific race,” says James. “But too often do we get to see the story told from a Caucasian character’s perspective, and we’re never able to see what being a veteran means in the context of being a black man. I didn’t take that lightly.”
“There are not a lot of black women leading TV right now,” says Monáe. She says she is grateful, then, to have been offered such a role. “The show asks important questions: what resources are we giving [veterans] financially, spiritually or emotionally? How are we there for our vets, and how can we be there for them more?”
The show speaks to the allure of power, and what we’ll do to keep hold of it, a subject Monáe feels is particularly relevant in the US. With a president presiding over an increasingly secretive and dystopian America, the most deplorable elements of Homecoming feel as though they could actually happen.
“I’m living in a world where our president fired the pandemic team. Our president doesn’t listen to scientists. This administration and our country is led by capitalism,” she says. “We’re making decisions not to better humanity and protect our health and wellbeing, but out of greed.”
Ultimately, Monáe hopes watching Homecoming will be a reflective experience. “We have to start looking at the world that we live in. We have to look at our politics and our corporations… We all deserve to live a life free of manipulation.”
Homecoming season two is available from Friday 22 May on Amazon Prime Video