newsweek--2020-11-20--'Animaniacs' Reboot: How to Watch the 2020 Episodes Online

Animaniacs is a well-loved show from the 1990s , so TV rules state that it was only a matter of time before TV execs fed the internet 's endless hunger for nostalgia by rebooting it .
Twenty-two years after the show last aired , the series is streaming 13 new episodes , available now for fans to watch online .
How to watch the Animaniacs reboot online The baker 's dozen of new episodes of Animaniacs are all streaming now on Hulu , where they were released on Friday , November 20 .
This means that new subscribers to Hulu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free .
The streamer offers a 30-day free trial for new users , giving fans a whole month to watch new Animaniacs for free .
After that point , Hulu offers multiple packages depending on whether or not you mind watching TV and film with ads .
Hulu 's limited commercials package is $ 5.99 a month ( or $ 59.99 a year ) , while viewers can get the service without ads for $ 11.99 a month .
The streamer also offers a bundle whereby subscribers can get basic Hulu , Disney+ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month .
Hulu also has the original episodes of Animaniacs , just under 100 installments that aired from 1993 to 1998 .
As Hulu is a U.S.-only service , it remains to be seen whether the new episodes will be made available in other countries around the world .
As for what fans can expect from the new episodes , the Hulu synopsis reads : `` They 're back !
The Warner brothers , Yakko and Wakko , and the Warner sister Dot , have a great time wreaking havoc and mayhem in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After returning to their beloved home , the Warner Bros. water tower , the siblings waste no time in causing chaos and comic confusion as they run loose through the studio , turning the world into their personal playground .
Joining Yakko , Wakko and Dot , fan-favorite characters Pinky and the Brain also return to continue their quest for world domination . ''
Voice actor Rob Paulsen , who played Yakko in the original series as well as the new one , said of the reboot to Entertainment Weekly : `` It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ labor of love ... What has changed is the time .
And there are , to be sure , a zillion things that [ the characters ] can mess with , both historically and culturally , and the folks writing the show get it .
What has not changed is the subversive humor , the lampooning of culturally sacred cows , all the things that made everybody love Animaniacs from the beginning . ''
The trailer for the show reveals that the show 's irreverent tone has not disappeared .
It begins by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fundamental lack of originality in Hollywood , '' only for them to change their tune are being buried under a mountain of cash .
Animaniacs is streaming now on Hulu .

Animaniacs is a well-loved show from the 1990s, so TV rules state that it was only a matter of time before TV execs fed the internet's endless hunger for nostalgia by rebooting it. Twenty-two years after the show last aired, the series is streaming 13 new episodes, available now for fans to watch online.
How to watch the Animaniacs reboot online
The baker's dozen of new episodes of Animaniacs are all streaming now on Hulu, where they were released on Friday, November 20.
This means that new subscribers to Hulu are able to watch the reboot for free. The streamer offers a 30-day free trial for new users, giving fans a whole month to watch new Animaniacs for free.
After that point, Hulu offers multiple packages depending on whether or not you mind watching TV and film with ads. Hulu's limited commercials package is $5.99 a month (or $59.99 a year), while viewers can get the service without ads for $11.99 a month.
The streamer also offers a bundle whereby subscribers can get basic Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ all for $12.99 a month.
Hulu also has the original episodes of Animaniacs, just under 100 installments that aired from 1993 to 1998.
'Animaniacs' has been rebooted for Hulu, and is streaming now. Hulu
As Hulu is a U.S.-only service, it remains to be seen whether the new episodes will be made available in other countries around the world.
As for what fans can expect from the new episodes, the Hulu synopsis reads: "They're back! The Warner brothers, Yakko and Wakko, and the Warner sister Dot, have a great time wreaking havoc and mayhem in the lives of everyone they meet. After returning to their beloved home, the Warner Bros. water tower, the siblings waste no time in causing chaos and comic confusion as they run loose through the studio, turning the world into their personal playground. Joining Yakko, Wakko and Dot, fan-favorite characters Pinky and the Brain also return to continue their quest for world domination."
Voice actor Rob Paulsen, who played Yakko in the original series as well as the new one, said of the reboot to Entertainment Weekly: "It really, truly is a deeply personal labor of love...What has changed is the time. And there are, to be sure, a zillion things that [the characters] can mess with, both historically and culturally, and the folks writing the show get it. What has not changed is the subversive humor, the lampooning of culturally sacred cows, all the things that made everybody love Animaniacs from the beginning."
The trailer for the show reveals that the show's irreverent tone has not disappeared. It begins by saying "reboots are symptomatic of a fundamental lack of originality in Hollywood," only for them to change their tune are being buried under a mountain of cash.
Animaniacs is streaming now on Hulu.


newsweek--2020-11-20--Donald Trump Snipes at Mitt Romney's 'Slaughtering by Obama' in Clash Over Election Fraud Claims

President Donald Trump has clashed again with Senator Mitt Romney ( R-UT ) , branding his 2012 defeat to Barack Obama a `` slaughtering '' in response to the Utah Republican 's criticism of Trump 's unevidenced claims that the 2020 election was stolen .
Romney is one of few Republican lawmakers to acknowledge President-elect Joe Biden 's election success after networks called the Democrat the victor in the contest , which was not close .
States are now in the process of certifying their results .
Trump has disputed Biden 's win , crying foul play and insisting widespread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ success .
His team has launched a raft of lawsuits related to the election , which have so far failed to substantiate claims of mass fraud .
Romney called Trump 's actions undemocratic and said the president and his allies have `` failed to make even a plausible case of widespread fraud or conspiracy before any court of law '' and are trying to `` subvert the will of the people and overturn the election . ''
Following these comments , Trump shared a news article quoting a tweet of his from 2012 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` voting machines switching Romney votes to Obama . ''
Alongside this , Trump tweeted : `` RINO Mitt Romney should read this .
I 'm sure , however , that he feels he got slaughtering by Obama 'fair and square ' . ''
Newsweek has contacted Romney and the Trump campaign for comment .
This is a developing story and will be updated .

President Donald Trump has clashed again with Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), branding his 2012 defeat to Barack Obama a "slaughtering" in response to the Utah Republican's criticism of Trump's unevidenced claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
Romney is one of few Republican lawmakers to acknowledge President-elect Joe Biden's election success after networks called the Democrat the victor in the contest, which was not close. States are now in the process of certifying their results.
Trump has disputed Biden's win, crying foul play and insisting widespread fraud and irregularities facilitated his opponent's success. His team has launched a raft of lawsuits related to the election, which have so far failed to substantiate claims of mass fraud.
Romney called Trump's actions undemocratic and said the president and his allies have "failed to make even a plausible case of widespread fraud or conspiracy before any court of law" and are trying to "subvert the will of the people and overturn the election."
Following these comments, Trump shared a news article quoting a tweet of his from 2012 in which he commented on reports of "voting machines switching Romney votes to Obama."
Alongside this, Trump tweeted: "RINO Mitt Romney should read this. I'm sure, however, that he feels he got slaughtering by Obama 'fair and square'."
It comes with Trump having suggested Dominion software saw votes for him deleted or switched to Biden, though there has not been evidence of widespread voter fraud caused by these voting systems.
Romney ran against Obama in 2012, a race which saw the Democrat secure 332 of the 538 Electoral College votes while Romney secured 206. Romney received 60,589,084 votes to Obama's 65,915,795, in terms of the popular vote results.
According to the Associated Press' calls, Biden has secured 306 Electoral College votes this time out, compared to Trump's 232.
Newsweek has contacted Romney and the Trump campaign for comment.
U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a listening session on youth vaping of electronic cigarette on November 22, 2019 in the Cabinet Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. Trump and Romney have clashed since Election Day, amid the president's continued dispute of the outcome. Alex Wong/Getty Images
Romney has been outspoken in his criticism of the president as he mounts his argument against the election outcome.
In a recent statement, he said: "Having failed to make even a plausible case of widespread fraud or conspiracy before any court of law, the President has now resorted to overt pressure on state and local officials to subvert the will of the people and overturn the election. It is difficult to imagine a worse, more undemocratic action by a sitting American president."
This comes amid the president's bid to alter the outcome of results in Michigan, which has also been criticized by Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE), with him having reportedly invited the state's top legislative leaders to visit him for a meeting as he continues with his push.
Read more GOP Sens. Romney and Sasse Condemn Trump's Election Challenges GOP Sens. Romney and Sasse Condemn Trump's Election Challenges
Romney has also expressed his concerns of what Trump might do in his lame duck period.
He previously said that while he thinks pursuing legal recourse over the results is not necessarily an issue in itself, he has criticized the manner in which Trump has voiced his grievances.
Speaking on NBC's Meet the Press earlier this month, he said: "I think it's fine to pursue every legal avenue that one has. But I think one has to be careful in the choice of words. I think when you say that the election was corrupt or stolen or rigged, that's unfortunately rhetoric that gets picked up by authoritarians around the world."
Romney and Trump have clashed in the past, with the senator having been the only Republican to vote against him in his impeachment trial in January—becoming the first Senator to vote to remove a president from his own party. Following this, Trump branded Romney a "low life."


newsweek--2020-11-20--Man Fighting Second Bout of COVID Bitten by Cobra, Paralyzed and Blinded

A man battling COVID-19 was bitten by a cobra in India , leaving him blind , paralyzed and `` fighting for his life . ''
British charity worker Ian Jones was working in a village in the northwest of the country when he was bitten by a highly venomous king cobra , according to a GoFundMe page set up by colleagues and family to raise money for his medical costs and transfer home to the United Kingdom .
Jones , from the Isle of Wight off the south coast of England , was in India running social enterprise Sabirian , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The charity worker has been in intensive care since he suffered the bite , compounding his COVID-19-related health problems .
`` Ian was , at the time , already battling a second bout of COVID-19 , having survived an earlier attack in March , when the snake bite took matters to a whole new level of severity , '' a statement on the GoFundMe page read .
`` Because of travel restrictions , [ he ] has been unable to travel home .
Now facing mounting medical bills and being unable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up this GoFundMe page in the hope of urgently raising some money to help meet the tens of thousands of pounds needed for his care , before he can return home to his family on the Isle of Wight . ''
This is not the first time that Jones has experienced a serious illness during his time as a charity worker , having already beaten bouts of malaria and dengue fever before contracting COVID-19 .
Seb Jones , the charity worker 's son , described his father as a `` fighter '' who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these illnesses , remaining `` resolute '' in his determination to stay in the country and continue his social enterprise work .
`` As a family we understood his desire to continue to support the many people who relied on him .
We were naturally concerned about him though and then when we heard he had also suffered what is usually a fatal snake bite on top of all that he had been through , we honestly could not believe it , '' the son said .
`` It really has been touch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the moment although he has paralysis in his legs and blindness , both of which we hope is temporary , but it is clear he is going to need to remain in hospital out there for some time to come . ''
The family said they were `` extremely grateful '' to Jones ' colleagues who have supported him at this difficult time .
King cobras , native to India , southern China and other parts of Southeast Asia , are one of the most venomous snakes on Earth .
Growing up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the longest venomous snake in the world .

A man battling COVID-19 was bitten by a cobra in India, leaving him blind, paralyzed and "fighting for his life."
British charity worker Ian Jones was working in a village in the northwest of the country when he was bitten by a highly venomous king cobra, according to a GoFundMe page set up by colleagues and family to raise money for his medical costs and transfer home to the United Kingdom.
Jones, from the Isle of Wight off the south coast of England, was in India running social enterprise Sabirian, which assists local craftspeople living in poverty.
The charity worker has been in intensive care since he suffered the bite, compounding his COVID-19-related health problems.
"Ian was, at the time, already battling a second bout of COVID-19, having survived an earlier attack in March, when the snake bite took matters to a whole new level of severity," a statement on the GoFundMe page read.
"Because of travel restrictions, [he] has been unable to travel home. Now facing mounting medical bills and being unable to leave the country, we are setting up this GoFundMe page in the hope of urgently raising some money to help meet the tens of thousands of pounds needed for his care, before he can return home to his family on the Isle of Wight."
This is not the first time that Jones has experienced a serious illness during his time as a charity worker, having already beaten bouts of malaria and dengue fever before contracting COVID-19.
Seb Jones, the charity worker's son, described his father as a "fighter" who stayed in India even after going through these illnesses, remaining "resolute" in his determination to stay in the country and continue his social enterprise work.
"As a family we understood his desire to continue to support the many people who relied on him. We were naturally concerned about him though and then when we heard he had also suffered what is usually a fatal snake bite on top of all that he had been through, we honestly could not believe it," the son said.
"It really has been touch and go, he is stable at the moment although he has paralysis in his legs and blindness, both of which we hope is temporary, but it is clear he is going to need to remain in hospital out there for some time to come."
The family said they were "extremely grateful" to Jones' colleagues who have supported him at this difficult time.
King cobras, native to India, southern China and other parts of Southeast Asia, are one of the most venomous snakes on Earth. Growing up to 18 feet in length, they are the longest venomous snake in the world.


newsweek--2020-11-20--Chicago Man, 81, Chases Off Three Burglars With Walking Stick

An 81-year-old man from Chicago chased three burglars from his home armed only with a walking stick , hitting one of the suspects over the head .
Dan Donovan said a man posing as a utility worker knocked on the door of the house he and his wife , Barbara , occupy in the suburb of Niles in the north of the city claiming he needed to check their fuse box following a recent fire .
`` We had received a letter from the electric company the day before , so when he said he was with the electric company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he told the Chicago Tribune .
Speaking to the paper about the November 4 incident , Barbara Donovan said : `` I kept backing up and he kept saying , 'come over by me . '
He said , 'if you 're home alone , you wo n't know what to do , ' and kept telling me to come closer to him .
I thought that was kind of weird . ''
While the man was in the basement with the couple they heard floorboards creaking overhead .
`` I hear the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yelled Dan !
Dan !
Somebody 's in our bedroom ! ''
she said .
They ran upstairs followed by the man and found two other men emerging from their bedroom holding a pillowcase .
Dan Donovan chased the three men out of the house , grabbing his grandfather 's antique Irish walking stick as he went .
`` I was trying to find some type of persuasive weapon , '' he told the Tribune .
`` So I picked up the Irish shillelagh and that turned out to be the equalizer because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the house . ''
Speaking to Fox 32 , he added : `` It 's 100 years old .
So if I hit him with this , it 'll make a point . ''
The former marine , who was barefoot , struck the man carrying the pillowcase on the back of the head with the stick before chasing the group of men onto the road .
`` I hit the guy in the head .
I 'm certain I got him in the head good because he would n't let go of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Hopefully they got nothing more than a headache and hopefully they pursue another occupation . ''
He repeatedly struck the windscreen and rear window of the men 's SUV before they fled .
`` I 've never heard him speak like that .
He said I got the one guy , I got the one guy right in the head .
I said 'good , good , ' '' Barbara Donovan added .
Police were said to be still looking for the men after receiving reports of a number of similar robberies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Chicago suburbs .

An 81-year-old man from Chicago chased three burglars from his home armed only with a walking stick, hitting one of the suspects over the head.
Dan Donovan said a man posing as a utility worker knocked on the door of the house he and his wife, Barbara, occupy in the suburb of Niles in the north of the city claiming he needed to check their fuse box following a recent fire.
"We had received a letter from the electric company the day before, so when he said he was with the electric company, we let him in," he told the Chicago Tribune.
Speaking to the paper about the November 4 incident, Barbara Donovan said: "I kept backing up and he kept saying, 'come over by me.' He said, 'if you're home alone, you won't know what to do,' and kept telling me to come closer to him. I thought that was kind of weird."
While the man was in the basement with the couple they heard floorboards creaking overhead. "I hear the floor in the bedroom squeaking and I yelled Dan! Dan! Somebody's in our bedroom!" she said.
They ran upstairs followed by the man and found two other men emerging from their bedroom holding a pillowcase.
Dan Donovan chased the three men out of the house, grabbing his grandfather's antique Irish walking stick as he went.
"I was trying to find some type of persuasive weapon," he told the Tribune. "So I picked up the Irish shillelagh and that turned out to be the equalizer because I managed to chase them out of the house."
Speaking to Fox 32, he added: "It's 100 years old. So if I hit him with this, it'll make a point."
The former marine, who was barefoot, struck the man carrying the pillowcase on the back of the head with the stick before chasing the group of men onto the road.
"I hit the guy in the head. I'm certain I got him in the head good because he wouldn't let go of the pillowcase," he said.
"Hopefully they got nothing more than a headache and hopefully they pursue another occupation."
Read more Married Off-Duty Police Officers Thwart Armed Robbery During Date Night
He repeatedly struck the windscreen and rear window of the men's SUV before they fled.
"I've never heard him speak like that. He said I got the one guy, I got the one guy right in the head. I said 'good, good,'" Barbara Donovan added.
Police were said to be still looking for the men after receiving reports of a number of similar robberies involving suspects posing as utility workers in the Chicago suburbs.


newsweek--2020-11-20--Putin Says Nuremberg Hearings 'Still Relevant Today' as Russia Opens up 6 New Nazi War Crime Probes

Russian president Vladimir Putin has called on the international community to ensure the findings of the Nuremberg trials are not undermined , as Russia announced six new probes into Nazi war crimes .
On the 75th anniversary of the start of the hearings , which tried 24 of the most important leaders of the Third Reich , Putin said that their findings were important in `` preserving the historical truth '' about the conflict known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War .
Addressing the start of the Nuremberg Lessons conference , Putin said on Friday that Russia was opening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Soviet Union and that `` such crimes have no statute of limitations . ''
`` The Nuremberg decisions are still relevant today , '' he said , describing how their findings had been the basis of a decision by a court to recognise the execution of more than 2,500 people near the village of Zhestyanaya Gorka in the Novgorod Region as an act of genocide .
`` That was the first such precedent in Russian legal practice , '' he said , `` It is the duty of the entire international community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , because they concern the principles that underlie the values of the post-war world order and the norms of international law , '' Putin said , according to a Kremlin transcript .
He added that the trials were important `` to counteract the intentional distortions and falsifications of the events of the Second World War ... especially the unscrupulous dishonest attempts to justify and even glorify Nazi criminals and their accomplices . ''
During the forum , whose participants include journalists , historians and military experts , Russian Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov announced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war crimes on Russian territory had been launched .
Archives have been declassified into Nazi actions in the republics of Karelia and Crimea , Krasnodar Territory , Leningrad , Novgorod , Pskov and Rostov regions , he said , according to Interfax .
Putin is keenly focused on Russia 's World War Two legacy and has rejected criticism for the Soviet non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany in 1939 that divided much of Eastern Europe into German and Soviet spheres of influence .
Last December , Putin described a resolution by the European Parliament @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of World War Two as `` sheer nonsense . ''
In June this year , an article for The National Interest in Putin 's name rejected Western criticism of Soviet actions at the beginning of the war .
He pointed to how prior to it , the 1938 Munich agreement saw the U.K. and France try to appease Adolf Hitler .
The graphic below by Statista shows Vladimir Putin 's time in office .

Russian president Vladimir Putin has called on the international community to ensure the findings of the Nuremberg trials are not undermined, as Russia announced six new probes into Nazi war crimes.
On the 75th anniversary of the start of the hearings, which tried 24 of the most important leaders of the Third Reich, Putin said that their findings were important in "preserving the historical truth" about the conflict known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War.
Addressing the start of the Nuremberg Lessons conference, Putin said on Friday that Russia was opening up its archives into Nazi actions in the Soviet Union and that "such crimes have no statute of limitations."
"The Nuremberg decisions are still relevant today," he said, describing how their findings had been the basis of a decision by a court to recognise the execution of more than 2,500 people near the village of Zhestyanaya Gorka in the Novgorod Region as an act of genocide.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is pictured during a teleconference call at on November 18, 2020. He said the findings of the Nuremberg trials needed to be safeguarded. ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/Getty Images
"That was the first such precedent in Russian legal practice," he said, "It is the duty of the entire international community to safeguard the Nuremberg Trials' decisions, because they concern the principles that underlie the values of the post-war world order and the norms of international law," Putin said, according to a Kremlin transcript.
He added that the trials were important "to counteract the intentional distortions and falsifications of the events of the Second World War... especially the unscrupulous dishonest attempts to justify and even glorify Nazi criminals and their accomplices."
During the forum, whose participants include journalists, historians and military experts, Russian Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov announced that six new criminal cases into Nazi war crimes on Russian territory had been launched.
Archives have been declassified into Nazi actions in the republics of Karelia and Crimea, Krasnodar Territory, Leningrad, Novgorod, Pskov and Rostov regions, he said, according to Interfax.
Putin is keenly focused on Russia's World War Two legacy and has rejected criticism for the Soviet non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany in 1939 that divided much of Eastern Europe into German and Soviet spheres of influence.
Last December, Putin described a resolution by the European Parliament that blamed the agreement for the outbreak of World War Two as "sheer nonsense."
In June this year, an article for The National Interest in Putin's name rejected Western criticism of Soviet actions at the beginning of the war. He pointed to how prior to it, the 1938 Munich agreement saw the U.K. and France try to appease Adolf Hitler.
The graphic below by Statista shows Vladimir Putin's time in office.


newsweek--2020-11-20--Boris Johnson Backs Minister Accused of Bullying, Rejects Ethics Report

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has rejected calls to fire his Home Secretary despite a report finding she broke ministerial rules after being accused of bullying her staff .
Johnson 's most senior ethics adviser led an inquiry into Conservative minister Priti Patel 's behavior and found that she failed to meet the requirement of the Ministerial Code .
Patel has always strongly denied allegations of bullying .
In the assessment of his findings , ministerial adviser Sir Alex Allan concluded : `` My advice is that the Home Secretary has not always met the high standards of the code @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instances would meet the definition of bullying .
To that extent , her behavior has been in breach of the Ministerial Code , even if unintentional . ''
Ministers are usually expected to resign if they breach the code .
This was not explicitly recommended in Allan 's report , but the code itself sets out that `` harassing , bullying or other inappropriate or discriminating behavior is not consistent with the Ministerial Code and will not be tolerated . ''
The most recent minister to resign over a breach of the code @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigation found that he lied about pornographic images found on his work computer .
Allan was critical of some civil servants in the Home Office , Patel 's department , saying they had not always been as `` flexible '' as they could have been in `` responding to the Home Secretary 's requests and directions . ''
`` There was no evidence that suggests she was aware of her behavior and no feedback was given at the time , '' Allan found .
The prime minister , however , rejected Allan 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a breach of the code .
In a statement , the government said Johnson considered Allan 's conclusions `` carefully '' but did not accept that Patel `` had not consistently met the high standards expected of her under the Ministerial Code . ''
`` As the arbiter of the code , having considered Sir Alex 's advice and weighing up all the factors , the prime minister 's judgment is that the Ministerial Code was not breached , '' the statement reads .
Allan has announced his resignation as a result of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement issued immediately after Johnson 's , the ethics adviser said : `` I recognize that it is for the Prime Minister to make a judgment on whether actions by a Minister amount to a breach of the Ministerial Code .
`` But I feel that it is right that I should now resign from my position as the Prime Minister 's independent adviser on the Code . ''
Labour leader Keir Starmer suggested Johnson should have fired Patel based on the report 's findings .
`` Yet again , the Prime Minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been tested , '' he said on Twitter .
`` If I were Prime Minister , the Home Secretary would have been removed from her job . ''
Labour , Britain 's opposition party , has demanded the publication of the full inquiry findings into the allegations against Patel , accusing Johnson of presiding over a `` cover-up '' after it emerged Allan 's report would not be made public .
Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said : `` This has all the hallmarks of a cover-up from the Prime Minister and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His actions are all but condoning bullying in the workplace . ''
A Cabinet Office investigation was launched in March over allegations that Patel belittled colleagues and clashed with senior officials in three different departments .
It followed the resignation of the Home Office 's permanent secretary Sir Philip Rutnam who accused Patel of a `` vicious and orchestrated briefing campaign '' against him and is claiming constructive dismissal at an employment tribunal .
Patel says the claims are `` false '' and allies have described her as a `` demanding '' boss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the publication of the report 's findings , the home secretary issued an apology and said : `` I am sorry that my behavior in the past has upset people .
It has never been my intention to cause upset to anyone .
`` I am very grateful for the hard work of thousands of civil servants who help to deliver the government 's agenda .
I care deeply about delivering on the commitments we have made to the people of this country and I acknowledge that I am direct and have at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like to thank the Prime Minister for his support .
The permanent secretary and I are working closely together to deliver on the vital job the Home Office has to do for the country . ''

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has rejected calls to fire his Home Secretary despite a report finding she broke ministerial rules after being accused of bullying her staff.
Johnson's most senior ethics adviser led an inquiry into Conservative minister Priti Patel's behavior and found that she failed to meet the requirement of the Ministerial Code. Patel has always strongly denied allegations of bullying.
In the assessment of his findings, ministerial adviser Sir Alex Allan concluded: "My advice is that the Home Secretary has not always met the high standards of the code in treating civil servants with respect. Instances would meet the definition of bullying. To that extent, her behavior has been in breach of the Ministerial Code, even if unintentional."
Ministers are usually expected to resign if they breach the code. This was not explicitly recommended in Allan's report, but the code itself sets out that "harassing, bullying or other inappropriate or discriminating behavior is not consistent with the Ministerial Code and will not be tolerated."
The most recent minister to resign over a breach of the code was Damian Green in 2017 after an investigation found that he lied about pornographic images found on his work computer.
Allan was critical of some civil servants in the Home Office, Patel's department, saying they had not always been as "flexible" as they could have been in "responding to the Home Secretary's requests and directions."
"There was no evidence that suggests she was aware of her behavior and no feedback was given at the time," Allan found.
The prime minister, however, rejected Allan's ruling that Patel's behavior amounted to a breach of the code. In a statement, the government said Johnson considered Allan's conclusions "carefully" but did not accept that Patel "had not consistently met the high standards expected of her under the Ministerial Code."
"As the arbiter of the code, having considered Sir Alex's advice and weighing up all the factors, the prime minister's judgment is that the Ministerial Code was not breached," the statement reads.
Allan has announced his resignation as a result of the PM's decision. In a statement issued immediately after Johnson's, the ethics adviser said: "I recognize that it is for the Prime Minister to make a judgment on whether actions by a Minister amount to a breach of the Ministerial Code.
"But I feel that it is right that I should now resign from my position as the Prime Minister's independent adviser on the Code."
A Cabinet Office investigation was launched in March over allegations that Priti Patel belittled colleagues and clashed with senior officials Leon Neal/Getty
Labour leader Keir Starmer suggested Johnson should have fired Patel based on the report's findings. "Yet again, the Prime Minister has been found wanting when his leadership has been tested," he said on Twitter.
"If I were Prime Minister, the Home Secretary would have been removed from her job."
Labour, Britain's opposition party, has demanded the publication of the full inquiry findings into the allegations against Patel, accusing Johnson of presiding over a "cover-up" after it emerged Allan's report would not be made public.
Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said: "This has all the hallmarks of a cover-up from the Prime Minister and raises fundamental questions about his judgment. His actions are all but condoning bullying in the workplace."
A Cabinet Office investigation was launched in March over allegations that Patel belittled colleagues and clashed with senior officials in three different departments.
It followed the resignation of the Home Office's permanent secretary Sir Philip Rutnam who accused Patel of a "vicious and orchestrated briefing campaign" against him and is claiming constructive dismissal at an employment tribunal.
Patel says the claims are "false" and allies have described her as a "demanding" boss, but not a bully.
Following the publication of the report's findings, the home secretary issued an apology and said: "I am sorry that my behavior in the past has upset people. It has never been my intention to cause upset to anyone.
"I am very grateful for the hard work of thousands of civil servants who help to deliver the government's agenda. I care deeply about delivering on the commitments we have made to the people of this country and I acknowledge that I am direct and have at times got frustrated.
"I would like to thank the Prime Minister for his support. The permanent secretary and I are working closely together to deliver on the vital job the Home Office has to do for the country."


newsweek--2020-11-20--Iran Says Trump Is Risking 'Full-Fledged War' with End of Term Escalation

President Donald Trump is yet to publicly admit defeat and commit to a transition of power , but talk inside the White House and the GOP is turning to his legacy regardless .
In Iran , the administration is continuing its `` maximum pressure '' campaign , seeking to collapse the nation 's economy before the end of Trump 's term .
Unable to force Tehran to make a new nuclear deal , Trump appears set on making the regime pay as steep a price as possible before he leaves the White House .
The president even asked for military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which Tehran maintains are purely for pursuing civilian power , according to The New York Times .
Trump was reportedly talked out of a military strike by advisers .
Iranian leaders have been dismissive of Trump since he lost the election , and are now considering what a Biden administration might hold for Tehran .
But they will have to make it through the dying convulsions of the Trump term , which look set to throw more problems at Iran .
A defense adviser to Iran 's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war by flirting with military action .
Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan told the Associated Press ( AP ) Thursday : `` We do n't welcome a crisis .
We do n't welcome war .
We are not after starting a war . ''
But he warned : `` A limited , tactical conflict can turn into a full-fledged war ... Definitely , the United States , the region and the world can not stand such a comprehensive crisis . ''
Dehqan , 62 , is among those tipped for a presidential run in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hassan Rouhani , a moderate who signed the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal , is expected to be replaced by a conservative , perhaps even one who has served in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps like Dehqan .
Biden has said he wants to rejoin the JCPOA—which Trump left in 2018—but that Iran must resume compliance .
Biden has also hinted he wishes to expand the deal to include limits on Iran 's ballistic missile program and its regional proxy network , two things Iranian leaders have said they will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week that Tehran will not consider this proposal .
`` The Islamic Republic of Iran will not negotiate its defensive power ... with anybody under any circumstances , '' he said .
`` Missiles are a symbol of the massive potential that is in our experts , young people and industrial centers . ''

President Donald Trump is yet to publicly admit defeat and commit to a transition of power, but talk inside the White House and the GOP is turning to his legacy regardless.
In Iran, the administration is continuing its "maximum pressure" campaign, seeking to collapse the nation's economy before the end of Trump's term. Unable to force Tehran to make a new nuclear deal, Trump appears set on making the regime pay as steep a price as possible before he leaves the White House.
The president even asked for military strike options on Iran's nuclear facilities, which Tehran maintains are purely for pursuing civilian power, according to The New York Times. Trump was reportedly talked out of a military strike by advisers.
Iranian leaders have been dismissive of Trump since he lost the election, and are now considering what a Biden administration might hold for Tehran. But they will have to make it through the dying convulsions of the Trump term, which look set to throw more problems at Iran.
A defense adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Friday that Trump was risking a war by flirting with military action.
Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan told the Associated Press (AP) Thursday: "We don't welcome a crisis. We don't welcome war. We are not after starting a war."
But he warned: "A limited, tactical conflict can turn into a full-fledged war...Definitely, the United States, the region and the world cannot stand such a comprehensive crisis."
Dehqan, 62, is among those tipped for a presidential run in Iran's June elections. Current President Hassan Rouhani, a moderate who signed the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal, is expected to be replaced by a conservative, perhaps even one who has served in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps like Dehqan.
Biden has said he wants to rejoin the JCPOA—which Trump left in 2018—but that Iran must resume compliance. Biden has also hinted he wishes to expand the deal to include limits on Iran's ballistic missile program and its regional proxy network, two things Iranian leaders have said they will not negotiate on.
Dehqan said this week that Tehran will not consider this proposal. "The Islamic Republic of Iran will not negotiate its defensive power...with anybody under any circumstances," he said. "Missiles are a symbol of the massive potential that is in our experts, young people and industrial centers."


newsweek--2020-11-20--Pfizer to Apply for Emergency Use of COVID Vaccine, High-Risk Populations May Get Shot Before Christ

Pfizer to Apply for Emergency Use of COVID Vaccine, High-Risk Populations May Get Shot Before Christmas

Pfizer and BioNTech will apply to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday to roll out its vaccine against COVID-19 , hoping that it will be available to high-risk individuals in the U.S. in December .
The American pharmaceutical and German biotechnology companies said in a press release on Friday that they will submit a request to the FDA for what is known as an emergency use authorization for their vaccine named BNT162b2 .
If given the green light , this could mean the vaccine is made available to populations at high risk of health complications from COVID-19 by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 , the news release said .
That means it may be in people 's arms before Christmas .
The move comes after Pfizer-BioNTech claimed results from their phase 3 clinical trial of the vaccine indicated it is 95 percent effective in preventing COVID .
The companies plan to submit applications to other regulatory agencies around the world `` immediately . ''
Dr. Ugur Sahin , CEO and co-founder of BioNTech , said in a statement : `` Filing for Emergency Use Authorization in the U.S. is a critical step in making our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as quickly as possible .
`` We intend to continue to work with regulatory agencies worldwide to enable the rapid distribution of our vaccine globally .
As a company located in Germany in the heart of Europe , our interactions with the European Medicines Agency ( EMA ) are of particular importance to us and we have continuously provided data to them as part of our rolling review process . ''
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available .

Pfizer and BioNTech will apply to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday to roll out its vaccine against COVID-19, hoping that it will be available to high-risk individuals in the U.S. in December.
The American pharmaceutical and German biotechnology companies said in a press release on Friday that they will submit a request to the FDA for what is known as an emergency use authorization for their vaccine named BNT162b2. This is the first such application to the FDA for a COVID vaccine.
If given the green light, the vaccine could be distributed "within hours" and made available to populations at high risk of health complications from COVID-19 by the middle to end of December, 2020, the news release said. That means it may be in people's arms before Christmas.
A source close to the situation told Reuters an FDA advisory committee may meet to discuss the vaccine between December 8 to 10, however the dates are subject to change.
The companies plan to submit applications to other regulatory agencies around the world "immediately." They forecast 50 million doses will be available globally in 2020, and 1.3 billion by the end of next year. But that is dependent on a number of factors, including whether bodies authorize its use, as well as manufacturing capabilities, the news release said.
The announcement comes in a fortnight of positive vaccine news amid a pandemic that has killed over 1.3 million people globally. On Monday, November 9, Pfizer claimed its vaccine was 90 percent on, later updating the figure to 95 percent.
A week later on Monday, November 16, biotechnology firm Moderna reported phase 3 trials suggest its vaccine was 94.5 percent effective. And on Thursday, a scientists at Oxford University published a study indicating their COVID vaccine was safe and triggered an immune response in older people—a population at serious risk of COVID. Neither Pfizer nor Moderna have published their phase 3 trial results data in peer-reviewed journals, prompting experts not involved in the research to urge caution.
Both Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines contain genetic material known as mRNA. This approach has not yet been used in commercially available vaccines for humans.
Dr. Ugur Sahin, CEO and co-founder of BioNTech, said in a statement: "Filing for Emergency Use Authorization in the U.S. is a critical step in making our vaccine candidate available to the global population as quickly as possible.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.


newsweek--2020-11-20--Man, 37, Accused of Torturing, Killing Teen Girlfriend Dies After Prison Attack While Awaiting Trial

A man in Brisbane , Australia , who was awaiting trial for allegedly murdering his 16-year-old girlfriend before stuffing her body in a barrel , has died following a prison brawl .
Zlatko Sikorsky , 37 , who spent more than a week on life support at a hospital after sustaining severe head injuries in a fight with another prisoner , died on Friday , a spokesperson for the Queensland Corrective Services confirmed in a statement .
Sikorsky was taken to Brisbane 's Princess Alexandra Hospital in critical condition after being assaulted at the Wolston Correctional Centre on November 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Queensland Police Service 's Correctional Services Investigation Unit is investigating .
Our condolences go out to the man 's family and friends . ''
Before his death , Sikorsky was due to stand trial in Brisbane Supreme Court over the murder of Larissa Beilby in June 2018 .
Sikorsky was awaiting trial for charges of murder , torture , deprivation of liberty and interfering with a corpse in relation to the death of Beilby .
He was accused of killing Beilby at a property in Buccan , about 20 miles south of Brisbane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barrel on the back of a ute .
The vehicle was was later found abandoned in Stapylton , about eight miles east of Buccan , near the city of Gold Coast .
Witnesses heard screams coming from Sikorsky 's car on the day Beilby was killed , Brisbane newspaper The Courier Mail reported .
The teenager sustained blunt force trauma to her head , neck and limbs before she died .
A cause of death was not determined due to the decomposition of her body but she may have asphyxiated , the paper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a committal hearing last November , that the pair had socialized and taken drugs with Sikorsky .
The court was told Beilby ran away from home and was staying in a safe house and `` doing drugs with older friends '' in the weeks before her death .
Sikorsky was described to be `` intimidating '' and `` always '' carried a gun with him .
He told friends he was keeping drugs and money inside the barrel where the teenager 's body was found .
Last month , a child killer who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died after being stabbed and beaten by other inmates .
The body of the girl was found 16 days later and Roy Whiting , a convicted pedophile , was arrested and charged with her murder .
Whiting was attacked by two fellow prisoners who stabbed him with screws and a plank of wood with a screw in it while screaming : `` You f***ing nonce . ''
`` Nonce '' is an English slang word , meaning `` child sex offender . ''

A man in Brisbane, Australia, who was awaiting trial for allegedly murdering his 16-year-old girlfriend before stuffing her body in a barrel, has died following a prison brawl.
Zlatko Sikorsky, 37, who spent more than a week on life support at a hospital after sustaining severe head injuries in a fight with another prisoner, died on Friday, a spokesperson for the Queensland Corrective Services confirmed in a statement.
Sikorsky was taken to Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital in critical condition after being assaulted at the Wolston Correctional Centre on November 10.
The statement said: "The Queensland Police Service's Correctional Services Investigation Unit is investigating. Our condolences go out to the man's family and friends."
Before his death, Sikorsky was due to stand trial in Brisbane Supreme Court over the murder of Larissa Beilby in June 2018.
Sikorsky was awaiting trial for charges of murder, torture, deprivation of liberty and interfering with a corpse in relation to the death of Beilby.
He was accused of killing Beilby at a property in Buccan, about 20 miles south of Brisbane, before stuffing her body inside a barrel on the back of a ute. The vehicle was was later found abandoned in Stapylton, about eight miles east of Buccan, near the city of Gold Coast.
Witnesses heard screams coming from Sikorsky's car on the day Beilby was killed, Brisbane newspaper The Courier Mail reported.
The teenager sustained blunt force trauma to her head, neck and limbs before she died. A cause of death was not determined due to the decomposition of her body but she may have asphyxiated, the paper reported.
A friend of Beilby told a committal hearing last November, that the pair had socialized and taken drugs with Sikorsky.
The court was told Beilby ran away from home and was staying in a safe house and "doing drugs with older friends" in the weeks before her death.
Sikorsky was described to be "intimidating" and "always" carried a gun with him. He told friends he was keeping drugs and money inside the barrel where the teenager's body was found.
File photo: The Queensland Police headquarters building in Brisbane, Australia, pictured on July 3, 2007. A 37-year-old man in Brisbane accused of murdering his 16-year-old girlfriend died this week following a prison brawl. Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Last month, a child killer who abducted and murdered an 8-year-old girl nearly died after being stabbed and beaten by other inmates.
The body of the girl was found 16 days later and Roy Whiting, a convicted pedophile, was arrested and charged with her murder.
Whiting was attacked by two fellow prisoners who stabbed him with screws and a plank of wood with a screw in it while screaming: "You f***ing nonce." "Nonce" is an English slang word, meaning "child sex offender."


newsweek--2020-11-20--Klobuchar Says Stimulus Deal Could Come Within Weeks as Schumer Raises Hopes of McConnell Talks

Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar said lawmakers could pass a second stimulus package `` in the next few weeks '' as it was claimed that Republican and Democratic lawmakers had agreed to enter into fresh talks over COVID relief funding .
Speaking to the local news outlet Kare 11 , Klobuchar said she had been involved with fresh stimulus negotiations and believed a bipartisan agreement could be reached in the wake of the 2020 elections .
The Minnesota Democrat also blamed Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for a stall in talks over his refusal to bring the Heroes Act passed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ floor for a vote .
`` For a long time , Mitch McConnell has blocked the Heroes Act , which passed the House , from coming to the [ Senate ] floor , '' Klobuchar told Kare 11 .
`` The good news I have is that the negotiations have started up again .
I have been part of some of them , and I think we 're going to pass something in the next few weeks . ''
She later added that any relief bill would likely come after the Thanksgiving holidays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get legislation through the Senate .
The senator also urged both sides to get a deal done .
`` I think that it should get done in the next few weeks , '' Klobuchar said .
I do n't think we should go home at the end of the year without getting it done .
I do n't plan to . ''
The Minnesota senator issued her remarks after the Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer told reporters on Thursday that McConnell ( R-KY ) had agreed to enter into another round @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in talks .
`` Last night , they 've agreed to sit down and the staffs are going to sit down today or tomorrow to try to begin to see if we can get a real good COVID relief bill , '' the New York senator said , according to CNBC .
However , Politico reported that Republican staffers had disputed the Democratic lawmaker 's claims , and it is still unclear what stage any revived COVID relief talks have reached .
In a statement published by the Senate Republican Communications Center on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said : `` Republicans moved heaven and earth to help workers keep their jobs and help small businesses keep the lights on—from the springtime to now .
`` But now , we might lose the hardest-hit small businesses in the home stretch because Democrats have refused to let us continue helping . ''
Newsweek has contacted Sen. McConnell 's office for comment and further details .
This article will be updated with any response .

Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar said lawmakers could pass a second stimulus package "in the next few weeks" as it was claimed that Republican and Democratic lawmakers had agreed to enter into fresh talks over COVID relief funding.
Speaking to the local news outlet Kare 11, Klobuchar said she had been involved with fresh stimulus negotiations and believed a bipartisan agreement could be reached in the wake of the 2020 elections.
The Minnesota Democrat also blamed Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for a stall in talks over his refusal to bring the Heroes Act passed by the House of Representatives onto the Senate floor for a vote.
"For a long time, Mitch McConnell has blocked the Heroes Act, which passed the House, from coming to the [Senate] floor," Klobuchar told Kare 11. "The good news I have is that the negotiations have started up again. I have been part of some of them, and I think we're going to pass something in the next few weeks."
Senator Amy Klobuchar speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on November 17, 2020 in Washington, DC. Klobuchar said lawmakers could pass a second stimulus package "in the next few weeks". Hannah McKay-Pool/Getty Images
She later added that any relief bill would likely come after the Thanksgiving holidays due to the time it typically takes to get legislation through the Senate. The senator also urged both sides to get a deal done.
"I think that it should get done in the next few weeks," Klobuchar said. I don't think we should go home at the end of the year without getting it done. I don't plan to."
The Minnesota senator issued her remarks after the Democratic Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer told reporters on Thursday that McConnell (R-KY) had agreed to enter into another round of stimulus negotiations, following previous breakdowns in talks.
"Last night, they've agreed to sit down and the staffs are going to sit down today or tomorrow to try to begin to see if we can get a real good COVID relief bill," the New York senator said, according to CNBC.
However, Politico reported that Republican staffers had disputed the Democratic lawmaker's claims, and it is still unclear what stage any revived COVID relief talks have reached.
In a statement published by the Senate Republican Communications Center on Thursday night, the GOP majority leader said: "Republicans moved heaven and earth to help workers keep their jobs and help small businesses keep the lights on—from the springtime to now.
"But now, we might lose the hardest-hit small businesses in the home stretch because Democrats have refused to let us continue helping."
Newsweek has contacted Sen. McConnell's office for comment and further details. This article will be updated with any response.


newsweek--2020-11-20--Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness Plan Is Idiotic and Immoral | Opinion

Higher education might be the most pressing domestic issue confronting America today .
As currently structured and carried out , higher education is a blight upon the nation—an affirmative hindrance to our efforts in aiding human flourishing and securing the common good .
It is possible that no propagated belief in modern American history has been more intellectually , experientially and fiscally ruinous than the notion that a four-year bachelor 's degree-bestowing bender is a necessary rite of passage for entering adulthood .
Caviling about the systemic corruption of the academy is perhaps old hat .
By the time William @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Yale in 1951 , the metamorphosis of America 's ivory tower into something closely approximating a fifth column was well underway .
But the situation has , in recent decades , worsened ; it has metastasized into a cancer whose tendrils spread the latest faddish developments in intersectional , anti-American , anti-Western `` woke-ism '' all throughout the land .
It is both terrifying and perverse that America 's intellectual gatekeepers—the `` elite '' -forming , credentialing institutions that separate the `` deplorables '' from the ruling class—impress self-loathing pablum upon impressionable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , American higher education today comprises madrasas of wokeness fundamentally hostile to the American regime and the American way of life .
Many of the far Left 's most toxic ideas , whether moral relativism , socialism , `` anti-racism '' or multiculturalism , either begin on campus or gain steam there .
It should n't surprise anyone that one of the more popular policies in conservative egghead circles today is to expand loan access to , and accreditation support for , trade school alternatives to traditional four-year bachelor 's degree-granting programs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ more tangible problems associated with the failed higher education status quo .
Four years spent on campus between the ages of 18 and 22 means four prime years forgone from acquiring vocational skills , advancing a career , and mating and forming families .
It also often means , due in part to the federal government 's effective monopoly over the student loan industry , four years of willful indebtedness to major in such patently silly `` subjects '' as `` gender studies . ''
Student loans are now the second-largest source of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debt .
By some staggering estimates , Americans have over $ 1.5 trillion in student loan debt .
The modern Democratic Party is heavily reliant on woke college graduates for political support , and many on the Left have warmed in recent years to large-scale student loan `` forgiveness '' ( at least as a halfway measure , compared to the far Left 's support for universal free college ) .
Most recently , the likely incoming president , Democrat Joe Biden , has called for `` immediate '' forgiveness of $ 10,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This policy is idiotic in the extreme and brazenly immoral .
Republicans and sensible Democrats must unite to defeat it .
The higher education-student loan complex is in desperate need of more transparency and accountability—not more bailouts .
A prudent first step would be for creditors , whether public or ( ideally ) private , to present clear information about salaries and career paths for graduating high school seniors to consider before they commit to taking out hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans to major in `` ethnic studies . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a mass bailout of this nature , which would initiate a vicious , never-ending cycle of tuition spikes , more indebtedness and more bailouts .
It is a quintessential exercise in trying to apply a Band-Aid to a grievously slit artery .
Think the moral hazard problems associated with the 2008 bank bailouts were bad ?
Wait until you see where this irresponsible experiment could end .
Numerous other problems abound .
Such a bailout is inherently regressive , as it would disproportionately benefit woke children who decided they could afford four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and disproportionately harm taxpayers who themselves did not go to college .
Such a bailout would also be manifestly unfair to those graduates who have diligently worked to pay off their loans in earnest—even if it meant forsaking jobs they otherwise would have preferred to take in favor of jobs that pay more .
In other words , such a bailout would inculcate the worst lessons in fiscal imprudence and recklessness—all while letting the universities off the hook for their running what amounts to one sustained racket .
Josh Hammer is Newsweek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a research fellow with the Edmund Burke Foundation .
The views expressed in this article are the writer 's own .

Higher education might be the most pressing domestic issue confronting America today. As currently structured and carried out, higher education is a blight upon the nation—an affirmative hindrance to our efforts in aiding human flourishing and securing the common good. It is possible that no propagated belief in modern American history has been more intellectually, experientially and fiscally ruinous than the notion that a four-year bachelor's degree-bestowing bender is a necessary rite of passage for entering adulthood.
Caviling about the systemic corruption of the academy is perhaps old hat. By the time William F. Buckley Jr. wrote God and Man at Yale in 1951, the metamorphosis of America's ivory tower into something closely approximating a fifth column was well underway. But the situation has, in recent decades, worsened; it has metastasized into a cancer whose tendrils spread the latest faddish developments in intersectional, anti-American, anti-Western "woke-ism" all throughout the land.
It is both terrifying and perverse that America's intellectual gatekeepers—the "elite"-forming, credentialing institutions that separate the "deplorables" from the ruling class—impress self-loathing pablum upon malleable young minds. With some notable exceptions, American higher education today comprises madrasas of wokeness fundamentally hostile to the American regime and the American way of life. Many of the far Left's most toxic ideas, whether moral relativism, socialism, "anti-racism" or multiculturalism, either begin on campus or gain steam there. It shouldn't surprise anyone that one of the more popular policies in conservative egghead circles today is to expand loan access to, and accreditation support for, trade school alternatives to traditional four-year bachelor's degree-granting programs.
Intellectual bankruptcy notwithstanding, there are manifold more tangible problems associated with the failed higher education status quo. Four years spent on campus between the ages of 18 and 22 means four prime years forgone from acquiring vocational skills, advancing a career, and mating and forming families. It also often means, due in part to the federal government's effective monopoly over the student loan industry, four years of willful indebtedness to major in such patently silly "subjects" as "gender studies." Student loans are now the second-largest source of collective American debt, behind only mortgage debt. By some staggering estimates, Americans have over $1.5 trillion in student loan debt.
Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
The modern Democratic Party is heavily reliant on woke college graduates for political support, and many on the Left have warmed in recent years to large-scale student loan "forgiveness" (at least as a halfway measure, compared to the far Left's support for universal free college). Most recently, the likely incoming president, Democrat Joe Biden, has called for "immediate" forgiveness of $10,000 of student loan debt for borrowers.
This policy is idiotic in the extreme and brazenly immoral. Republicans and sensible Democrats must unite to defeat it.
The higher education-student loan complex is in desperate need of more transparency and accountability—not more bailouts. A prudent first step would be for creditors, whether public or (ideally) private, to present clear information about salaries and career paths for graduating high school seniors to consider before they commit to taking out hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans to major in "ethnic studies." The worst possible thing we could do would be a mass bailout of this nature, which would initiate a vicious, never-ending cycle of tuition spikes, more indebtedness and more bailouts. It is a quintessential exercise in trying to apply a Band-Aid to a grievously slit artery.
Think the moral hazard problems associated with the 2008 bank bailouts were bad? Wait until you see where this irresponsible experiment could end.
Numerous other problems abound. Such a bailout is inherently regressive, as it would disproportionately benefit woke children who decided they could afford four years of the decadent ivory tower wasteland, and disproportionately harm taxpayers who themselves did not go to college. Such a bailout would also be manifestly unfair to those graduates who have diligently worked to pay off their loans in earnest—even if it meant forsaking jobs they otherwise would have preferred to take in favor of jobs that pay more. In other words, such a bailout would inculcate the worst lessons in fiscal imprudence and recklessness—all while letting the universities off the hook for their running what amounts to one sustained racket.
American higher education needs a wrecking ball—not a bailout.
Josh Hammer is Newsweek opinion editor, a syndicated columnist and a research fellow with the Edmund Burke Foundation.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
COPYRIGHT 2020 CREATORS.COM


newsweek--2020-11-20--In Israel, Pompeo Blames Palestinians for Failure of Trump Peace Plan After Visiting West Bank Settl

In Israel, Pompeo Blames Palestinians for Failure of Trump Peace Plan After Visiting West Bank Settlement

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has blamed the Palestinian leadership for the failure of President Donald Trump 's controversial Middle East peace plan , which Palestinians and their supporters have dismissed as a pro-Israeli blueprint formalizing occupation .
Speaking with The Jerusalem Post at the end of this week 's visit to Israel , Pompeo said the U.S. sympathized with the Palestinian people but was critical of their leadership , expressing hope that the long awaited but widely panned Trump peace proposal could still one day succeed .
The Palestinian leadership under President Mahmoud Abbas cut ties with the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has accused the White House of being complicit in Israeli human rights abuses , plus the continued occupation of and expansion of Jewish settlements on Palestinian land .
Since President-Elect Joe Biden 's victory in this month 's election , the leadership has begun to shift .
The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank has said it will resume cooperation with Israel on a range of issues amid hopes that Biden 's administration will be able to resurrect dialogue .
Pompeo told the Post : `` We always remain hopeful that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Palestinian leadership . ''
But he blamed Abbas ' administration in the West Bank and the Hamas militant group—which controls the blockaded coastal Gaza Strip—for the collapse of Trump 's peace efforts , which were fronted by his son-in-law Jared Kushner .
`` If you look at the Vision for Peace that we laid down , it clearly demarcated a brighter future for the Palestinian people , and yet the Palestinian leadership refused to even negotiate on its basis , '' Pompeo said .
`` That 's unfortunate for the Palestinian people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raft of economic incentives to agree to the plan .
But the Palestinians , who were not involved in the negotiations , would have had to accept full demilitarization , abandon all international legal action against Israel and the U.S. , and fully comply with all aspects of the plan , some of which were dismissed as impossible .
The offer also rejected Palestine 's claim to Jerusalem as the future state 's capital , and effectively gave a green light for Israeli annexation of West Bank settlements considered illegal by the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , despite American and Israeli challenges .
Critics characterized the plan as a smokescreen for annexation and a death knell for the two-state solution which many observers have warned has been rendered de facto defunct .
Trump allies had described the plan as the `` Deal of the Century , '' but Abbas dismissed it as the `` slap of the century . ''
Then-secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization Saeb Erekat—who died earlier this month—said it should be known as the `` fraud of the century . ''
Despite all the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was subverting the will of the Palestinian people by rejecting the plan .
One Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research poll showed that 94 percent of Palestinians rejected the peace proposal .
`` With respect to Palestinian policy , we hope that Palestinian policy will come to reflect the will of Palestinians .
If it does , I am confident that the Palestinian leadership would come to the table , '' Pompeo said .
`` They 'd sit down , have hard-fought negotiations .
They 'd have disagreements we 've had for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a set of common understandings that would deliver a really good outcome and a much better life for the people that live in Judea and Samaria and the Gaza Strip as well , '' Pompeo said , using an Israeli government term for the administrative district covering the Israeli-occupied West Bank .
`` These are places where people are living in very difficult conditions , and it 's most unfortunate and unnecessary .
It 's brought to them by failed leadership whether it 's the [ Palestinian Islamic Jihad ] in Gaza or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the West Bank today , it 's most unfortunate , '' Pompeo added .
Pompeo gave the interview one day after becoming the first U.S. secretary of state to visit an Israeli settlement in the West Bank .
The Trump administration has already said it does not consider these settlements illegal , but Pompeo 's visit was a stamp of approval to their existence and expansion .
After his Psagot visit , Pompeo also issued a statement saying the U.S. would require goods imported from areas `` where Israel exercises the relevant authorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' , `` Made in Israel '' , or `` Product of Israel . ''
Pro-Palestinian groups have long campaigned for such products to be explicitly marked as having come from West Bank settlements , and European courts have rejected efforts to mark them as Israeli .
Pompeo also said the U.S. considers the pro-Palestinian Boycott , Divest , Sanctions movement—which seeks to pressure the Israeli government through non-violent economic actions—anti-Semitic .
The movement rejected the charge and condemned what it called the `` fanatic Trump-Netanyahu alliance . ''

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has blamed the Palestinian leadership for the failure of President Donald Trump's controversial Middle East peace plan, which Palestinians and their supporters have dismissed as a pro-Israeli blueprint formalizing occupation.
Speaking with The Jerusalem Post at the end of this week's visit to Israel, Pompeo said the U.S. sympathized with the Palestinian people but was critical of their leadership, expressing hope that the long awaited but widely panned Trump peace proposal could still one day succeed.
The Palestinian leadership under President Mahmoud Abbas cut ties with the U.S. and Israel during Trump's term, and has accused the White House of being complicit in Israeli human rights abuses, plus the continued occupation of and expansion of Jewish settlements on Palestinian land.
Since President-Elect Joe Biden's victory in this month's election, the leadership has begun to shift. The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank has said it will resume cooperation with Israel on a range of issues amid hopes that Biden's administration will be able to resurrect dialogue.
Pompeo told the Post: "We always remain hopeful that we will increase the communications between ourselves and the Palestinian leadership."
But he blamed Abbas' administration in the West Bank and the Hamas militant group—which controls the blockaded coastal Gaza Strip—for the collapse of Trump's peace efforts, which were fronted by his son-in-law Jared Kushner.
"If you look at the Vision for Peace that we laid down, it clearly demarcated a brighter future for the Palestinian people, and yet the Palestinian leadership refused to even negotiate on its basis," Pompeo said. "That's unfortunate for the Palestinian people."
The peace proposal offered a raft of economic incentives to agree to the plan. But the Palestinians, who were not involved in the negotiations, would have had to accept full demilitarization, abandon all international legal action against Israel and the U.S., and fully comply with all aspects of the plan, some of which were dismissed as impossible.
The offer also rejected Palestine's claim to Jerusalem as the future state's capital, and effectively gave a green light for Israeli annexation of West Bank settlements considered illegal by the United Nations and most of the international community, despite American and Israeli challenges.
Critics characterized the plan as a smokescreen for annexation and a death knell for the two-state solution which many observers have warned has been rendered de facto defunct.
Trump allies had described the plan as the "Deal of the Century," but Abbas dismissed it as the "slap of the century." Then-secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization Saeb Erekat—who died earlier this month—said it should be known as the "fraud of the century."
Despite all the criticism, Pompeo claimed the Palestinian leadership was subverting the will of the Palestinian people by rejecting the plan. One Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research poll showed that 94 percent of Palestinians rejected the peace proposal.
"With respect to Palestinian policy, we hope that Palestinian policy will come to reflect the will of Palestinians. If it does, I am confident that the Palestinian leadership would come to the table," Pompeo said.
"They'd sit down, have hard-fought negotiations. They'd have disagreements we've had for decades, but they can come to a set of common understandings that would deliver a really good outcome and a much better life for the people that live in Judea and Samaria and the Gaza Strip as well," Pompeo said, using an Israeli government term for the administrative district covering the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
"These are places where people are living in very difficult conditions, and it's most unfortunate and unnecessary. It's brought to them by failed leadership whether it's the [Palestinian Islamic Jihad] in Gaza or Hamas in Gaza or the leadership in the West Bank today, it's most unfortunate," Pompeo added.
Pompeo gave the interview one day after becoming the first U.S. secretary of state to visit an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. The Trump administration has already said it does not consider these settlements illegal, but Pompeo's visit was a stamp of approval to their existence and expansion.
After his Psagot visit, Pompeo also issued a statement saying the U.S. would require goods imported from areas "where Israel exercises the relevant authorities" to be marked as "Israel", "Made in Israel", or "Product of Israel."
Pro-Palestinian groups have long campaigned for such products to be explicitly marked as having come from West Bank settlements, and European courts have rejected efforts to mark them as Israeli.
Pompeo also said the U.S. considers the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divest, Sanctions movement—which seeks to pressure the Israeli government through non-violent economic actions—anti-Semitic. The movement rejected the charge and condemned what it called the "fanatic Trump-Netanyahu alliance."


newsweek--2020-11-20--Bill Gates Warns 'Tragic' Number of Americans Likely to Die Before Vaccine Roll Out

Bill Gates has urged the public not to get complacent about COVID-19 despite multiple promising vaccine candidates announced this month .
The billionaire philanthropist , whose foundation has committed more than $ 350 million to the global coronavirus response , noted Thursday `` several hundred thousand '' lives are likely to be lost in the U.S. before vaccine coverage is widespread .
While Gates forecasts the pandemic situation is likely to have improved by next summer , he said people will need to abide by established health guidelines—lockdowns , better hygiene and the wearing of face-coverings—in the coming months .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gates said a possibility of vaccines should ideally get people to be on their `` best behavior '' until coverage is high , and he agreed it was a danger some may see still-unproven treatments as a `` silver bullet . ''
`` We are likely to get 2000 deaths a day in January and February , so up to about a peak level .
And it is tragic , '' Gates said in an interview , warning of surging cases .
`` It 's going to add up to several hundred thousand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And we will look back and say why could n't we convince people to just stay the course until we got up to that very high vaccination level , which will probably be late Spring . ''
U.S. health experts and pharmaceutical companies developing the vaccine candidates estimate that doses could be available by the end of this year , however a widespread roll out will take place in 2021 .
Many countries have pre-orders in place .
Pfizer and BioNTech announced Thursday their candidate , BNT162b2 , appeared to be 95 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease that is now responsible for more than 11 million cases and at least 252,000 deaths in the U.S .
They said up to 50 million doses could be made in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021 .
On Monday , pharmaceutical firm Moderna said its candidate , mRNA-1273 , had shown an efficacy of 94.5 percent .
Moderna said 20 million doses could be ready by the year 's end , with between 500 million and 1 billion doses possible globally in 2021 .
As case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths were recorded on Thursday this week , according to data released by Johns Hopkins University .
The University of Washington 's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation warned more than 2,300 Americans could be dying daily by December 18 , CNN reported .
There are currently 11 vaccines in the `` advanced trial '' stage , with five in phase 3 trials in the U.S. , according to Dr. Anthony Fauci , director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and public face of the White House coronavirus task force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rashida Jones in a podcast earlier this week , in which the health expert said getting back to normal would not be `` for a while '' and noted some U.S. citizens are currently facing `` fatigue '' with the ongoing pandemic situation .
He , too , advised citizens not to get complacent , saying people need to understand the virus , ensuing the health crisis is `` not going to spontaneously go away . ''
`` You absolutely have to do things that sound so simple that people think they 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , keeping a distance , avoiding crowds , being outdoors as much as you possibly can , weather permitted , and washing your hands , '' Fauci said .
`` We have seen what happens when you do n't by the very unfortunate experiences that have become public now in the United States .
I mean , that 's proof positive . ''
He added : `` This is going to end .
Science is going to help us with a vaccine and therapy , and if we pay attention to the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it . ''
Gates told Cooper the situation will likely have improved by next summer , assuming the vaccines are approved and the U.S. can manage distribution .
`` Good news should pull us together ... it is a bit of a sacrifice , but we will get back to normal , '' he said .
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has worked on global vaccine distribution for many years and played a key role in the near-total eradication of Polio .
It has allocated millions of dollars to support the roll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Effective vaccines will end this crisis sooner , '' the Gates foundation explained in an FAQ about its mission .
`` Our aim is to speed up research and development for COVID-19 vaccines and make them accessible and affordable for as many as possible . ''
On November 12 , the foundation announced that it was committing another $ 70 million to `` global efforts to develop and distribute safe , affordable , and timely vaccines . ''
Of that , a $ 20 million grant was given to to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) to help `` jumpstart '' development of more of the promising vaccine candidates `` as the first wave conclude their clinical trials and file for approval . ''

Bill Gates has urged the public not to get complacent about COVID-19 despite multiple promising vaccine candidates announced this month.
The billionaire philanthropist, whose foundation has committed more than $350 million to the global coronavirus response, noted Thursday "several hundred thousand" lives are likely to be lost in the U.S. before vaccine coverage is widespread.
While Gates forecasts the pandemic situation is likely to have improved by next summer, he said people will need to abide by established health guidelines—lockdowns, better hygiene and the wearing of face-coverings—in the coming months.
Speaking with CNN host Anderson Cooper, Gates said a possibility of vaccines should ideally get people to be on their "best behavior" until coverage is high, and he agreed it was a danger some may see still-unproven treatments as a "silver bullet."
"We are likely to get 2000 deaths a day in January and February, so up to about a peak level. And it is tragic," Gates said in an interview, warning of surging cases.
"It's going to add up to several hundred thousand lives lost just in the U.S. alone. And we will look back and say why couldn't we convince people to just stay the course until we got up to that very high vaccination level, which will probably be late Spring."
Bill Gates estimates the US will lose "several hundred thousand lives" while awaiting a Covid-19 vaccine.
"It's tragic... we'll look back and say, 'why couldn't we convince people to just stay the course until we got up to that very high vaccination level.'" pic.twitter.com/84Z49lGS8s — Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) November 20, 2020
U.S. health experts and pharmaceutical companies developing the vaccine candidates estimate that doses could be available by the end of this year, however a widespread roll out will take place in 2021. Many countries have pre-orders in place.
Pfizer and BioNTech announced Thursday their candidate, BNT162b2, appeared to be 95 percent effective for treating COVID-19, the disease that is now responsible for more than 11 million cases and at least 252,000 deaths in the U.S. They said up to 50 million doses could be made in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021.
On Monday, pharmaceutical firm Moderna said its candidate, mRNA-1273, had shown an efficacy of 94.5 percent. Moderna said 20 million doses could be ready by the year's end, with between 500 million and 1 billion doses possible globally in 2021.
As case numbers spike, more than 2,000 U.S. deaths were recorded on Thursday this week, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University.
The University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation warned more than 2,300 Americans could be dying daily by December 18, CNN reported.
There are currently 11 vaccines in the "advanced trial" stage, with five in phase 3 trials in the U.S., according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and public face of the White House coronavirus task force.
Fauci spoke with Gates and actor Rashida Jones in a podcast earlier this week, in which the health expert said getting back to normal would not be "for a while" and noted some U.S. citizens are currently facing "fatigue" with the ongoing pandemic situation.
He, too, advised citizens not to get complacent, saying people need to understand the virus, ensuing the health crisis is "not going to spontaneously go away."
"You absolutely have to do things that sound so simple that people think they're maybe not relevant. Wearing a mask, keeping a distance, avoiding crowds, being outdoors as much as you possibly can, weather permitted, and washing your hands," Fauci said.
"We have seen what happens when you don't by the very unfortunate experiences that have become public now in the United States. I mean, that's proof positive."
He added: "This is going to end. Science is going to help us with a vaccine and therapy, and if we pay attention to the public health measures we can gain control of it."
Gates told Cooper the situation will likely have improved by next summer, assuming the vaccines are approved and the U.S. can manage distribution. "Good news should pull us together... it is a bit of a sacrifice, but we will get back to normal," he said.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has worked on global vaccine distribution for many years and played a key role in the near-total eradication of Polio. It has allocated millions of dollars to support the roll out of COVID-19 vaccines to lower-income countries.
"Effective vaccines will end this crisis sooner," the Gates foundation explained in an FAQ about its mission. "Our aim is to speed up research and development for COVID-19 vaccines and make them accessible and affordable for as many as possible."
On November 12, the foundation announced that it was committing another $70 million to "global efforts to develop and distribute safe, affordable, and timely vaccines."
Of that, a $20 million grant was given to to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) to help "jumpstart" development of more of the promising vaccine candidates "as the first wave conclude their clinical trials and file for approval."


newsweek--2020-11-20--'Grey's Anatomy' Cast: Who is Alma 'Mama' Ortiz and Who Plays Her?

Grey 's Anatomy Season 17 is in full swing , with a host of new cast members appearing as we meet this year 's batch of interns .
One of them distinguished themselves , however , by standing up to Tom Koracick ( played by Gregg Germann ) in a what that seems to hint at future romance between the intern and neurosurgeon .
When we were introduced to these interns on Grey 's Anatomy Season 17 , Episode 3 , titled `` My Happy Ending , '' ( streaming now on the ABC website , app and Hulu ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a mother and daughter pair who had the same surname , Ortiz .
This led Richard ( James Pickens Jr. ) to quip : `` Two interns with the same name wo n't fly .
Who 's changing theirs ? ''
This lead the older of the pair , Alma ( Sara is the daughter ) , to become known as Mama Ortiz .
If you recognized the woman who played Mama Ortiz , Lisa Vidal , that is because she has been working in TV and film for 40 years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a TV series titled Oye Willis , described by the New York Times at the time as : `` A 10‐part dramatic series ... about the experiences of a young Latino growing up in a barrio of New York . ''
( The actress herself was born in Queens ) .
Single appearances followed in shows like Miami Vice , The Cosby Show and the ABC Afterschool Specials .
Grey 's is not Vidal 's first medical drama .
Fans of the genre may recognize her as ER 's Sandy Lopez , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long-running cast member Kerry Weaver ( Laura Innes ) .
More recently , she starred in her biggest role to date , appearing in over 50 episodes of Gabrielle Union 's BET show Being Mary Jane .
She also had a role in ABC 's recently canceled series The Baker and the Beauty .
She is also the sister of Christina Vidal , who a generation of kids will remember as the lead of Nickelodeon 's Taina .
On Grey 's however , she has already made plenty of fans by doing something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do : Give Koracick a piece of her mind , after he tried to discharge a patient to her care home as it was infested with COVID-19 .
Whether they stay as sparring partners or develop something else remains to be seen—though the Entertainment Weekly review of the episode notes , `` Mama Ortiz and Koracick are totally hooking up in the future .
I 'm calling it . ''
Grey 's Anatomy Season 17 airs Thursdays at 9 p.m .
ET / 8 p.m. CT on ABC .

Grey's Anatomy Season 17 is in full swing, with a host of new cast members appearing as we meet this year's batch of interns. One of them distinguished themselves, however, by standing up to Tom Koracick (played by Gregg Germann) in a what that seems to hint at future romance between the intern and neurosurgeon.
When we were introduced to these interns on Grey's Anatomy Season 17, Episode 3, titled "My Happy Ending," (streaming now on the ABC website, app and Hulu), when we learned that among them was a mother and daughter pair who had the same surname, Ortiz.
This led Richard (James Pickens Jr.) to quip: "Two interns with the same name won't fly. Who's changing theirs?" This lead the older of the pair, Alma (Sara is the daughter), to become known as Mama Ortiz.
If you recognized the woman who played Mama Ortiz, Lisa Vidal, that is because she has been working in TV and film for 40 years. Her first role per IMDb was in a TV series titled Oye Willis, described by the New York Times at the time as: "A 10‐part dramatic series...about the experiences of a young Latino growing up in a barrio of New York." (The actress herself was born in Queens).
Lisa Vidal as 'Mama' Oritz in 'Grey's Anatomy'. ABC
Single appearances followed in shows like Miami Vice, The Cosby Show and the ABC Afterschool Specials.
Grey's is not Vidal's first medical drama. Fans of the genre may recognize her as ER's Sandy Lopez, the firefighter who was the long-term girlfriend of long-running cast member Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes).
More recently, she starred in her biggest role to date, appearing in over 50 episodes of Gabrielle Union's BET show Being Mary Jane. She also had a role in ABC's recently canceled series The Baker and the Beauty.
She is also the sister of Christina Vidal, who a generation of kids will remember as the lead of Nickelodeon's Taina.
On Grey's however, she has already made plenty of fans by doing something that plenty of viewers would love to do: Give Koracick a piece of her mind, after he tried to discharge a patient to her care home as it was infested with COVID-19.
Whether they stay as sparring partners or develop something else remains to be seen—though the Entertainment Weekly review of the episode notes, "Mama Ortiz and Koracick are totally hooking up in the future. I'm calling it."
Grey's Anatomy Season 17 airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT on ABC.