Several states have laws that require automatic recounts in tight races.
Some Republican candidates have already said they plan to challenge the results — if they lose.
The contentious nature of the 2022 midterms sets the U.S. up for another round of bitter and drawn-out legal battles and recounts reminiscent of the 2020 presidential election.
Archiv: federal states / regions / local
Uvalde Class Action Lawsuit to be Filed Against Law Enforcement Agencies, Gun Manufacturer
He then listed off Uvalde ISD, its police chief Pete Arredondo, the Uvalde Police Department, the Uvalde County Sheriff, the Texas Rangers, the Department of Public Safety (DPS), and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol as the law enforcement subjects of the impending suit.
Report on Uvalde Shooting Finds ‘Systemic Failures’ in Police Response
After the report came out, the mayor of Uvalde, Don McLaughlin, said the acting chief during the shooting, Lt. Mariano Pargas, had been placed on administrative leave and that the city had begun its own internal investigation. The city released body camera footage documenting the actions of the Uvalde officers at the scene.
The facts laid out in the report also made clear that neither existing gun laws, nor expanded background checks passed by Congress in response to the shooting, would have prevented the gunman, Salvador Ramos, from obtaining the weapon he used.
In June 2 meeting, Uvalde officials painted police response to Robb Elementary shooting as heroic
“My recollection is that (Uvalde Mayor Donald McLaughlin Jr.) was upset with the way that DPS had conducted the press conferences, and they had prepared that narrative and they were going to release it,” Busbee said in an interview with the San Antonio Express-News. “And then I objected to it because … the investigation had just begun so we did not know if that was a true assessment of what transpired. There was no way for us to tell or assess whether or not that narrative was accurate.”
Busbee’s office is investigating the school shooting and how officers on the scene responded.
‘Anyone but Boris’ majority could doom the Tories to electoral oblivion
Nightmare scenario of tactical voting could put several Cabinet ministers’ majorities at risk, including the Prime Minister’s
The country would be better off’: senior Tories urge Boris Johnson to quit
Ex-leader Michael Howard among Conservatives to call for resignation after byelection catastrophes
The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and give individual states the choice of banning or allowing abortions will immediately affect 13 states that have trigger laws.
Local elections 2022: Critics turn on Boris Johnson as Tories lose almost 500 council seats
Tory MPs are assessing the fall-out after a „tough night“ for Boris Johnson in his first test at the ballot box since being fined for breaking lockdown rules.
The Conservatives lost nearly 500 seats in England, Wales, and Scotland in Thursday’s council elections, with partygate and the cost of living crisis cited by local leaders as key issues on the doorstep.
Will vaccine passports be biggest campaign issue of 2022?
(April 2, 2021)
A growing number of the Republican Party’s most conservative members have seized on the passport proposals and expected guidance from the White House, blasting them as an example of government overreach that would isolate Americans who choose not to get vaccinated and violate the privacy of those who do.
Moe, Kenney, 16 U.S. governors sign letter calling for Trudeau, Biden to end vaccination mandate for truckers
The letter was sent Wednesday morning.
„We are writing to request that you immediately reinstate the vaccine and quarantine exemptions available to cross-border truck drivers. We understand the vital importance of vaccines in the fight against COVID-19 and continue to encourage eligible individuals to get vaccinated,“ it said.
The letter was signed by 16 U.S. Republican governors, some from border states like Montana, North Dakota and Alaska, some from southern states like Mississippi, Georgia and Alabama.
Two Canadian premiers urge Trudeau and Biden to end vaccine mandates for cross-border truckers
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, joined by 16 American governors, have written to President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau demanding the end of vaccination mandates for cross-border truckers.
Three weeks ago I drafted this joint letter to Prime Minister Trudeau and President Biden opposing the pointless trucker vaccine mandate, and began contacting US Governors for their support. Both governments need to end this disruptive policy.
COVID-19 restrictions have caused so much terrible division in our communities and even in our personal relationships. It’s time to come together, put these damaging restrictions behind us, and move on!
If the Canada-USA trucker vaccine mandate wasn’t bad enough, now Justin Trudeau wants to bring in a mandate for truckers going between provinces. Alberta will fight this every step of the way – including in court, if we have to.
(08.02.2022)
WATCH:
Ontario freezes funds from GiveSendGo trucker convoy fundraiser
Ivana Yelich said the order binding “any and all parties with possession or control over these donations” was issued Thursday afternoon. She cited a section of the Criminal Code that allows the attorney general to apply for a restraint order against any “offence-related property.”
Ontario and most other provinces stick with gradual approach to COVID reopening
„Just because one province is doing something doesn’t mean we’re necessarily going to do that,“ said Dr. Jazz Atwal, Manitoba’s deputy chief public health officer.
Manitoba is hoping to lift all restrictions by spring, but Atwal said the plan will be dictated by science — not the decisions of other jurisdictions or demands from protesters.
COVID updates, Feb. 8: Quebec lifting most measures by March 14, will review mask mandate, vaccine passport
(Feb 08, 2022)
Legault unveils detailed reopening timeline for home gatherings, restaurants, bars, sports, working from home.
Quebec Liberal MP publicly breaks with Trudeau over vaccine mandates
(Feb 08, 2022)
„I think it’s time we stopped dividing the population,“ said Joël Lightbound, seen by some as a rising star in the federal Liberal party.
Canada’s Saskatchewan province lifts all Covid restrictions amid protests
(February 09, 2022)
Canada’s Saskatchewan province announced Tuesday the lifting of all Covid restrictions including wearing of masks and proof of vaccination for indoor dining — as truckers continued occupying Ottawa with similar demands.
Alberta was expected to soon follow suit — despite some pushback from doctors and nurses — while Quebec announced it would move up the loosening of restrictions.
Alberta starts lifting COVID-19 restrictions, vaccine passport program
(Feb 08, 2022)
Premier Jason Kenney says Alberta’s vaccine passport will end almost immediately, with most other big COVID-19 health rules gone three weeks later.
Appeals court refuses to reinstate federal employee vaccine mandate while it reviews case
(February 09, 2022)
A federal appeals court said Wednesday it would not reinstate President Joe Biden’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate for federal employees while it reviews a lower court’s order putting the requirement on hold — potentially setting the stage for the case to go to the Supreme Court.
Judges Weigh More Biden Vaccine-Mandate Cases After Supreme Court Rulings
(Feb. 6, 2022)
Several lower courts considering challenges to the administration’s other Covid-19 vaccine requirements.
Covid Updates: Several States Move to End Some Mask Mandates
Connecticut will permit students and staff members to stop wearing masks in schools by no later than Feb. 28, after Gov. Ned Lamont recommended Monday that the statewide mask mandate end on that date.
His remarks came after a move by New Jersey officials earlier Monday to lift that state’s mask mandate for schools.
The governors of Delaware and Oregon also made announcements on Monday about relaxing mask mandates at the end of March. And California officials said that state’s universal mask mandate for indoor public places would be lifted next week.
A New York judge rules that the state’s mask mandate is unconstitutional and can’t be enforced.
Gov. Kathy Hochul had renewed a rule requiring masks or proof of vaccination at all indoor public places throughout the state in December, amid a winter virus surge, and said it would last a month. The state Health Department then extended the mandate an additional two weeks, to expire on Feb. 1.
In his six-page decision, State Supreme Court Justice Thomas Rademaker wrote that Ms. Hochul and state health officials lacked the authority to enact the mask mandate without the approval of state lawmakers, and that it violated the state constitution. Regardless of the “well aimed” intentions of state officials, such authority is “entrusted solely to the State Legislature,” Justice Rademaker wrote.
NEW: A New York state Supreme Court judge has ruled that Governor Kathy Hochul’s statewide indoor mask mandate is unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court blocked President Biden‘s OSHA mandate, which was blatantly and egregiously unconstitutional. The principle is simple: The president is not a king with the power to do whatever he wants regardless of the law and the facts.
House GOP Leaders: No More Authoritarian Mandates
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23), House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (LA-01), and House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (NY-21) released the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Biden administration’s unlawful vaccine mandate:
“President Biden’s vaccine mandates are unlawful and not based on science. They deny workers their livelihood, divide our society, and diminish liberty. They are bad policies that undermine public confidence in the vaccines and compound the President’s failure to fulfill his promise to ‘crush the virus.’
BIG VICTORY FOR AMERICA AT THE SUPREME COURT
Biden’s unconstitutional vaccine mandate for private employees has been struck down, with help from our objection in the Senate which was referenced in the majority opinion.
BREAKING: Supreme Court blocks the Biden administration’s vaccine-or-test rule for U.S. businesses, but allows a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for most health care workers.
Supreme Court puts an end to pandemic of the autocrat
The American work force is now safe from the unnecessary threat of its government
Supreme Court’s Conservative Majority Appears Skeptical of Biden’s Virus Plan
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court’s conservative majority seemed to be leaning on Friday toward blocking one of the White House’s main pandemic-fighting strategies, expressing skepticism that the Biden administration has the legal power to mandate that large employers require workers to be vaccinated or to undergo frequent testing.
The Supreme Court to hold a hearing on Biden’s vaccine and testing mandate
NPR’s Rachel Martin talks to Karen Harned of the National Federation of Independent Business, about its opposition to OSHA’s vaccine and testing requirements for private employers.
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hold a hearing on the Biden administration’s vaccine and testing mandate.
Supreme Court to hear arguments over vaccine mandates on January 7
(23.12.2021)
About half the states in the United States, 24, have filed lawsuits against the federal vaccine mandates.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts stresses need for judicial independence
The current court term is loaded with highly charged cases, including a direct assault on Roe v. Wade and challenges to the Biden administration’s efforts to impose vaccine or mask-wearing and testing requirements for large employers and health care workers to control the spread of Covid. The court will hear the pandemic-related cases in a special session January 7.
Roberts did not mention any of those factors. But he said the judiciary’s power to manage its own internal affairs „insulates courts from inappropriate political influence and is crucial to preserving public trust in its work as a separate and co-equal branch of government.“
Supreme Court to Hold Special Hearing on Biden Vaccine Mandates
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court said on Wednesday evening that it would hold a special hearing next month to assess the legality of two initiatives at the heart of the Biden administration’s efforts to address the coronavirus in the workplace.
Appeals Court Refuses To Put Biden’s Vaccine Mandate For Healthcare Workers Back Into Effect
A federal appeals court upheld Monday a district court order that blocked the White House’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers—which paused the order in only 10 states and not nationwide—the latest in a string of recent setbacks President Joe Biden’s vaccine orders have faced in court.
Most employers say they won’t require vaccines if courts block Biden’s mandate
President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate for businesses with 100 or more employees is in limbo since a federal appeals court halted it last month.
NYC Vaccine Mandate Blocked by Judge in Blow to Bill de Blasio
Patricia Finn, an attorney who describes herself on Twitter as „The Good Health Lawyer New Yotk (sic),“ launched the legal challenge against the mayor’s mandate. She regularly espouses anti-vaccination views on her social media accounts.
In one Facebook post, Finn wrote: „Please DO NOT support lockdowns for the unvaccinated. It garners support for lockdowns and punishment for whoever these bureaucrats deem ‚dangerous‘.“
Vaccine mandates on hold: Courts put a stop to sweeping requirements — for now
Millions of health care workers across the U.S. were supposed to have their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by this coming Monday under a mandate issued by President Joe Biden’s administration. Thanks to legal challenges, they won’t have to worry about it, at least for now.
Same goes for a Jan. 4 deadline set by the administration for businesses with at least 100 employees to ensure their workers are vaccinated or tested weekly for the virus.
Joe Biden’s Mandates Aren’t Doing So Well in Court
Yesterday and today, federal judges in Louisiana and Missouri entered injunctions against vaccine mandates for the staff of 21 types of Medicare and Medicaid health-care providers, enacted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and planned to go into effect next Monday. Monday’s ruling was by Judge Matthew Schlep of the Eastern District of Missouri (a Trump appointee), and applies to ten states (Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming), all of which were plaintiffs in the case.
The Florida Legislature and my administration are committed to protecting Florida jobs. Today, I signed legislation protecting the right of Floridians to earn a living and to make health decisions for themselves.
Florida set to become first state to fine businesses over vaccine mandates, in defiance of Biden administration
(18.11.2021)
Acting mostly along party lines, the Florida House and Senate passed a package of four bills protecting workers who remain defiant against Covid-19 vaccinations. Once signed by DeSantis — which is expected in the coming days — Florida will become the first state with a law imposing fines on companies that require a Covid-19 vaccination as a condition of employment.
Biden administration suspends enforcement of business vaccine mandate to comply with court order
The White House previously told businesses to proceed with the implementation of the requirements.
10 states sue Biden administration over COVID vaccine mandate for health care workers
A group of 10 states has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration and its requirement that health care workers in the U.S. to be vaccinated against COVID-19, saying the mandate is „unconstitutional and unlawful.“
More than half of US states are suing to stop Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate
(05.11.2021)
Twenty-six states cosigned four petitions, amounting to perhaps the most sweeping legal challenge to pandemic-era safety requirements since Biden took office. Three Democrat-led states are among the 26.
Biden official tells businesses to ignore court order on vaccine mandate
Former FDA commissioner and Pfizer board member Dr. Scott Gottlieb shared some thoughts via his Twitter account over the weekend about a federal court temporarily pausing the implementation of the Biden vaccine mandate.
U.S. Urges Court Not to Block Vaccine Mandate on Employers
The Fifth Circuit panel will now decide whether to lift its decision to block the mandate or make it permanent. But it is unlikely to have the final word.
Some other legal challengers to the mandate are in different appeals court circuits, and the many pending challenges are expected to be consolidated before a randomly assigned appeals court later this month. The issue is very likely to end up before the Supreme Court.
Blocked for now, Biden’s vaccine-or-test rule for workers faces uncertain future
It took just a day-and-a-half for President Biden’s vaccine-or-test rule covering 84 million workers to be blocked by a federal appeals court.
Now, the Biden administration is gearing up for a fight
White House facing onslaught of challenges to vaccine rules
Republicans are framing the battle over vaccination mandates as a debate over civil liberties.
A coalition of 11 states led by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt (R), who is running for Senate, argued the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) doesn’t have the authority to put in place such sweeping federal public health regulations and that the rule unconstitutionally infringes on states‘ powers.
Yesterday, I sued the Biden Admin over its unlawful OSHA vax mandate. WE WON. Just this morning, citing “grave statutory and constitutional issues,” the 5th Circuit stayed the mandate. The fight is not over and I will never stop resisting this Admin’s unconstitutional overreach!
Federal court of appeals issues temporary halt to Biden vaccine mandate
A federal court issued Texas a temporary victory in its lawsuit against the Biden administration’s coronavirus vaccine mandate issuing a stay on the controversial federal government regulation in Texas.
Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee sue Biden over COVID vaccine mandate
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost and Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced the lawsuit shortly after the Biden administration said Thursday morning that its vaccine rules applying to private businesses with 100 or more employees, certain health care workers and federal contractors will take effect Jan. 4.
‚Freedom Day‘: Sydney reopens as Australia looks to live with COVID-19
„I see it as a day of freedom, it’s a freedom day,“ New South Wales (NSW) state Premier Dominic Perrottet told reporters in Sydney, the state capital. „We are leading the nation out of this pandemic but this will be a challenge.“
D-Day or freedom daze for Morrison: the electoral risks and opportunities in reopening
If the next federal election is decided, as it certainly could be, in NSW, and if the Coalition wins, then Monday could be the most important day in that victory. It is hard to overstate the level of excitement in the state right now. Some people are eager to reopen their business – to see customers they haven’t seen in months. Others have taken the next few days off work to enjoy the sudden freedom.
Will Joe Biden’s vaccination requirements hold up in court?
The big policy that Biden has so far declined to impose is a national vaccination mandate. There’s a reason: Legal experts said that doing so would have been pretty clearly unconstitutional.
This is a „bright line,“ said Lawrence O. Gostin, faculty director of Georgetown University Law Center’s O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law. „States can mandate vaccines for the general population. The federal government cannot.„
This is a very smart and insightful article on why groupthink is so pervasive among corporate journalists — especially those online — and why both the miserable economics and miserable culture of the media corporations where they work require conformity and herd behavior:
The Problem With Media
This is the tragedy. The local news die-off is real and lasting. Whole regions of the country now lack reliable news. The suffering is not always obvious because it is more about absence than outright destruction. Today’s 28-year-old living in an exurb doesn’t understand how much coverage of a town meeting, a county executive’s office, or a public school they would’ve read 20 or 30 years ago. They merely see nothing and learn to live with it. Many of the remaining small newspapers hardly function at all; they are living ghosts printing wire copy.
German lawmakers move to strengthen the government’s powers in the pandemic.
BERLIN — Germany’s government plans to ask lawmakers to grant it stronger powers in order to introduce a nationwide lockdown as the country is gripped by a third wave of the coronavirus.
The country’s approach has so far been to have the governors of Germany’s 16 states agree to any nationwide pandemic policies. But as calls from public health officials have grown stronger for a new nationwide lockdown in recent weeks, Chancellor Angela Merkel has had trouble gaining all of the governors’ support.
How the pandemic turned German politics upside down
In Germany, politics is supposed to be dull. Everything about the system — its carefully calibrated federalism, support for the European Union and emphasis on coalitions and consensus — is calculated to keep public life as stable as possible. Under normal conditions it works well enough — even if it often puts outsiders to sleep.
But then came the pandemic.
Merkel sets out plan to take control of Germany’s Covid response
Changing the law comes with considerable risk for Merkel: enshrining specific infection rates in legislation could require her government to put the law to endless ad-hoc parliamentary votes as the pandemic situation changes. A more permanent power-grab could in turn be blocked by the Bundesrat, the constitutional body through which the states participate in the legislative process.
Merkel power-grab: German Chancellor poised to impose new restrictions as COVID cases soar
Backing the idea of the Chancellor taking control of the situation, Norbert Roettgen, who was defeated by Mr Laschet, Prime Minister of North Rhine Westphalia, in the CDU leadership contest earlier this year, said: “At the beginning of the crisis, the decision-making in the Minister-President Conference was okay.
“But it has become dysfunctional in the meantime.
Merkel overrides regional autonomy to enforce centralised lockdown
On Friday Merkel administration figures insisted her move was not about calling into question Germany’s postwar federal system, which gives state considerable political autonomy. But they said the decentralised system, which allowed quick and local responses on testing a year ago, had become an impediment now to coherent infection prevention.
Merkel Bloc Pushing for More Central Power Over Virus Strategy
(08.04.2021)
Chancellor Angela Merkel wants to push ahead with a bid to transfer powers to impose coronavirus restrictions from the regional to the federal level, as the German leader tries to reverse the latest surge in infections threatening Europe’s biggest economy.
Germany’s current “infection protection law” doesn’t allow for “common action” to tackle the pandemic because it leaves the enforcement of restrictions to the 16 states, Norbert Roettgen, a senior member of Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, said in a position paper obtained by Bloomberg.
Crowds pack Ocean Drive in Miami Beach after curfew
Police try to enforce a curfew in Miami Beach after crowds linger, leading to a stampede.
Hundreds of people defy Miami Beach curfew orders
The city has now extended the restrictions for at least 3 weeks.
COVID-19: Miami Beach in Florida declares state of emergency over crowds
Miami Beach police are taking drastic measures to impose a new curfew as spring breakers overwhelmed the city …
Supreme Court Seems Ready to Sustain Arizona Voting Limits
Several members of the court’s conservative majority said the restrictions were sensible, commonplace and at least partly endorsed by a bipartisan consensus reflected in a 2005 report signed by former President Jimmy Carter and James A. Baker III, who served as secretary of state under President George Bush.
The Biden administration, too, told the justices in an unusual letter two weeks ago that the Arizona measures appeared to be lawful.
Jason Snead: Supreme Court voting rights case could change rules across the country. Here’s how
Perhaps no case better illustrates the political left’s current animosity to even the most commonsense election protection measures, or its willingness to use unsupported race-based allegations to attack them in court and in public.
Arizona has a voting system that any reasonable observer would think makes it extraordinarily easy to vote. The state offers online voter registration and allows anyone to vote by early ballot for any reason.
UK Covid cases fall by a THIRD in a week and deaths down almost 20% piling pressure on Boris to show way out of lockdown
Mark Harper — chairman of the Covid Recovery Group of lockdown sceptics, with 70 Tory MPs — said: “Back-of-the-envelope calculations I did based on two million doses a week mean you could get the top nine priority groups, first doses, and the top four groups, second doses, all done by the end of May.
“So it seems to me by the time you get to the end of May, no later than that, you should be in a position to get rid of restrictions completely.
What are the CRG, ERG and NRG? The difference between backbench Tory groups putting pressure on Boris Johnson
The NRG was launched by Tory MPs representing constituencies in Wales, northern regions and the Scottish borders – largely the parts of the country the current Government had promised to support when it was elected.
It has been calling for the Government to set out a specific northern economic recovery plan to help these regions in the wake of economically-damaging lockdowns.
Boris Johnson vows to make UK the ‚foremost naval power in Europe‘ with £24bn MOD budget boost as No10 is forced to insist extra cash is not an attempt to impress Joe Biden and defence minister admits he ‚doesn’t know‘ where money is coming from
However, there are major question marks over how the additional spending will be paid for while Downing Street has also been forced to deny that the new money for the military is simply an attempt to impress US President-elect Joe Biden.
There is growing speculation that some of the money could come from the foreign aid budget, with Chancellor Rishi Sunak due to set out the Government’s one-year Spending Review next week.
UK to set up ‚RAF Space Command capable of launching first rocket‘
The UK is setting up „RAF Space Command“, a wing of the Armed Forces which will be capable of launching Britain’s first rocket as early as 2022, the prime minister has announced.
Boris Johnson said a military investment of £16.5 billion will also fund the development of Artificial Intelligence and a National Cyber Force aimed at targeting terrorism, organised crime and hostile state activity.
FIFTY Northern Tory MPs mount a lockdown revolt: Boris faces a ‚red wall‘ rebellion and demands for an ‚exit map‘ – as eight million people are plunged into toughest coronavirus restrictions with addition of Nottingham and Warrington to Tier 3
A letter to Boris Johnson from the Northern Research Group – a newly-launched alliance of Tory MPs led by ex-Northern Powerhouse minister Jake Berry – outlines the group’s demands, which include a tailored economic recovery plan for the north.
Mr Berry says that the virus could widen the North-South divide and ’send the North into reverse‘. His group is now calling for Mr Johnson to ‚level-up the North‘ – something the PM claimed he would do following sweeping Conservative gains in the region in the General Election.
Boris Johnson Hit by Lockdown Revolt From More Than 50 Tories
The MPs reminded Johnson of his promises to “level up” disadvantaged parts of the country, which helped persuade voters in former industrial heartlands last December to back his Tories instead of the opposition Labour Party many had supported for decades.
So much for the Welsh ‚travel ban‘: Traffic flows freely between England and Wales on first day of ‚unenforcable‘ ban on travelers from English coronavirus hotspots like Liverpool
It was described as ‚unenforceable‘ by the Police Federation earlier this week and there is still no sign of any high-visibility patrols or roadblocks to deter travel from Merseyside – despite Liverpool being in Tier 3.
Those who ignore the restrictions will be breaking the law and could face fixed penalty notices starting at £50 – but there have so far been no reports of drivers being stopped.
Travel latest news: British hospitality to launch legal action over expected lockdown restrictions
Following the announcement of a new three-tier lockdown system, which will see areas with higher Covid rates imposed with harsher measures, the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) is leading a revolt against new rules that could see thousands of bars and restaurants ordered to close.
Two of the country’s biggest brewers and pub operators, Joseph Holt and JW Lees, are also involved in the challenge, alongside a further 10 hospitality businesses and organisations.
BED TO WORSE: New 3-tier lockdown rules: Boris Johnson to ban overnight stays and non-essential travel in Covid hotspots
OVERNIGHT stays will be forbidden in northern virus hotspots for four weeks, Boris Johnson will announce today.
As well as the bed ban, residents can only leave the highest risk regions for essential travel such as work, education or health reasons, and must return that day.
PM ‘betraying his red wall voters’ over lockdown cash
Burnham told the Observer that by offering to pay only two-thirds of the wages of people hit by new closures – as opposed to the 80% which applied nationally under the original furlough scheme – ministers would be punishing people in the north in a way that was completely unacceptable.
Burnham said the Conservatives were betraying the people in so-called “red wall” seats who they had persuaded to vote Tory at the general election last December with pledges to “level up” the country.
Millions will be ordered not to leave their local areas in new Covid clampdown
Millions of people will be asked not to travel outside their local areas and could be banned from mixing with other households, even outdoors, amid fears that some hospitals in the North-West could be overwhelmed within days.
This weekend, Downing Street was briefing mayors and council leaders on the planned three-tier „Local Covid Alert Levels“ system of restrictions for England, expected to be announced by Boris Johnson on Monday.
Professors ‚Glum and Glummer‘ Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance should be banned from Covid press briefings, says leading lawyer who warns the Government has been ‚captured‘ by scientists
(03.10.2020)
Last month, Professor Whitty and Sir Patrick – dubbed Glum and Glummer by critics – held their own press conference, warning the infection rate could rise to 50,000 cases a day by mid-October.
Boris’s Red Wall revolt: Northerners rage at ‚dictator‘ PM for using them as a ‚petri dish for experimentation‘ as it emerges 10 MILLION people in COVID hotspots will be plunged into ‚Tier Three‘ lockdown on Monday with pubs and restaurants SHUT
Conservative MPs and local leaders in the North have been venting fury about the government’s stance, with former minister Jake Berry accusing the premier of being ‚London-centric‘ and enjoying his sweeping emergency powers ‚a little bit too much‘.
Politicians in Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle and Sheffield raged at ‚diktats announced without notice‘ and said ministers were treating the North like a ‚petri dish for experimentation‘ while the South gets off lightly.
Divided nation: will Covid rules tear the country apart?
The north-south split could cost the Tories their majority
China, Indonesia sign MoU to boost use of local currencies
The authorities believe it will positively contribute to encouraging the use of local currencies for the settlement of trade and direct investment between the two countries, the statement said.
Vote by Mail: Turning the Clock Backwards
Today, using the coronavirus as an excuse, the Democrats seek to abolish how we conduct elections in the United States.
Our current system of voting came into being as a result of a great progressive reform movement in the latter part of the 19th century and early 20th century.
Ardent progressive reformers, like the socialist Henry George in 1886, strove to prevent corruption in the electoral process. The progressive reformers championed a system of voting by an official ballot printed at public expense by a neutral authority. Previously political parties had printed their own ballots and ward bosses paid people to vote for their candidates, stuff ballots and vote repeatedly.
The system was intimidating and enormously corrupt. A supervisory public authority was necessary to monitor balloting, ensure fairness, and provide the necessary element of voter secrecy.
The new structure of reform called the ‚Australian ballot‘, (named from its place of origin) specifies that a citizen coming to the poll be registered to vote and identified. At the poll, he gives his name and address. He receives an official ballot; marks it in the secrecy of a booth and hands it in to be counted.
Trump Threatens to Send Federal Law Enforcement Forces to More Cities
The president portrayed the nation’s cities as out of control. “Look at what’s going on — all run by Democrats, all run by very liberal Democrats. All run, really, by radical left,” Mr. Trump said. He added: “If Biden got in, that would be true for the country. The whole country would go to hell. And we’re not going to let it go to hell.”
Democrats said the president was the one out of control.
German police respond to criticism over reported genealogy research
Following a Stuttgarter Zeitung report on Saturday that a local police chief had announced research into the family trees of suspects with German passports, police in the southern city of Stuttgart responded on Sunday that this was a routine procedure.
A Million Jobs Lost: A ‘Heart Attack’ for the N.Y.C. Economy
While the national jobless rate has rebounded as many states started to reopen, New Yorkers continue to lose jobs and seek benefits.
CDC wants states to count ‘probable’ coronavirus cases and deaths, but most aren’t doing it
(08.06.2020)
In April, as coronavirus infections multiplied and laboratory testing was limited, the CSTE and the CDC advised states to count both probable cases and deaths — where symptoms and exposure pointed to infection — along with those confirmed by tests.
Yet weeks after the guidance was handed down to standardize coronavirus reporting, a Post review found states as of early June counting cases and deaths in all sorts of ways.
At least 24 states are not heeding the national guidelines on reporting probable cases and deaths, despite previously identifying probable cases in other national outbreaks, including H1N1 flu during the country’s last pandemic in 2009.
George Floyd protests reach even small cities as America confronts systemic racism
USA TODAY Network journalists in towns all across the country spoke to citizens from May 31 to June 3 at protests and community centers to better understand the situation on the ground. Here’s what we heard:
I want Whitmer to lock down Michigan until the state is punished so severely for voting Democrat, they don’t do it again for a generation.
Governor Whitmer cannot legitimately invoke emergency powers on an ongoing basis when the legislature is available to address COVID-19. It’s not an “emergency” under such circumstances. President Trump tried this nonsense with the wall and arms sales. The same principle applies.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer extends lockdown order for the fifth time — through June 12
WJBK-TV reported that Whitmer extended her order on Friday evening at around 5:00 p.m., just as the Memorial Day weekend kicked off.
CDC, Georgia to change website reporting after combining antibody and viral test results
In a statement Wednesday afternoon, the Georgia Department of Health said it would remove the antibody testing data from the diagnostic data, although it had been following the current CDC guidance on the reporting data.
Thursday, Toomey addressed the issue during a state news conference.
“I’m actually am grateful that the media are looking at this closely because often you can recognize things that I did not see, or there are some inconsistencies that I didn’t notice,” Toomey said.
CDC, Florida report vastly different coronavirus testing numbers
As of May 16, the state had performed close to 700,000 COVID-19 tests, according to the Florida Department of Health; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Florida had conducted more than 900,000 COVID-19 tests.
With a 33% difference between the two agencies, Florida is one of 10 states to report such large discrepancies in testing numbers, with Florida being the most extreme case, according to an analysis by The COVID Tracking Project, which compared cases, deaths and testing numbers reported by each state and by the CDC’s Data Tracker.
‘How Could the CDC Make That Mistake?’
This is not merely a technical error. States have set quantitative guidelines for reopening their economies based on these flawed data points.
Several states—including Pennsylvania, the site of one of the country’s largest outbreaks, as well as Texas, Georgia, and Vermont—are blending the data in the same way. Virginia likewise mixed viral and antibody test results until last week, but it reversed course and the governor apologized for the practice after it was covered by the Richmond Times-Dispatch and The Atlantic. Maine similarly separated its data on Wednesday; Vermont authorities claimed they didn’t even know they were doing this.
Scientists Warn CDC Testing Data Could Create Misleading Picture Of Pandemic
The CDC combines the results of genetic tests that spot people who are actively infected, mostly by using a process known as polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, with results from another, known as serology testing, which looks for antibodies in people’s blood. Antibody testing is used to identify people who were previously infected.
’50 states and 50 different approaches:‘ States scramble to hire COVID-19 contact tracers
Massachusetts has added more than 1,000 workers and sent some into communities with large numbers of cases. California last week began training the first recruits of a planned 20,000-person contact tracing team. And New York plans to add as many as 17,000 contact tracers through a partnership with former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Resolve to Save Lives, headed by former CDC Director Tom Frieden.
Lockdown for ANOTHER MONTH??? Who the hell voted for that Jackass IGE??? I hope the Hawaii Supreme Court sets us free like they did in Wisconsin! #endthelockdown #frickinggovernor #gestapostate
Our story tonight. Wisconsin’s Supreme Court brings an end to statewide stay at home order…and there are celebrations in places that have been off limits for weeks: bars.
Wisconsin’s supreme court has ruled that the governor’s ordered lockdown of the state is unconstitutional. Bars and restaurants threw their doors open to willing customers and the celebration was like the end of prohibition.
47 states partially reopen as more Americans head outside
States build contact tracing armies to crush coronavirus
State governments are building armies of contact tracers in a new phase of the battle against the coronavirus pandemic, returning to a fundamental practice in public health that can at once wrestle the virus under control and put hundreds of thousands of newly jobless people back to work.
California is already conducting contact tracing in 22 counties, and it eventually plans to field a force of 10,000 state employees, who will be given basic training by University of California health experts.
Police intervention at #Alexanderplatz #Berlin trying to disperse a crowd of thousands of people, some of whom chanting “we are the people” #COVID19 #Berlin
Photos of raucous protests around the state | Demonstrators demand stay-at-home order be lifted
Raucous protests erupted around California this week as demonstrators demanded that Gov. Gavin Newson’s stay-at-home order be lifted.
“We’re Tired of Your Lies!” – Protesters Gather Outside of Massachusetts State House Demanding Governor Reopen State (VIDEOS)
Demonstrators were also protesting the authoritarian mask mandate that takes effect on Wednesday.
Dubbed the “Liberty Rally,” the protest, promoted by conservative radio host Jeffrey Kuhner, was planned in the event Republican Governor Charlie Baker didn’t reopen businesses on May 4.
Governor Baker extended his state’s stay-at-home order until May 18 and signed an order requiring Massachusetts residents to wear masks in public.
Facing protests, Newsom says easing stay-at-home rules could be ‘days’ away
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday faced the most intense pressure yet to lift restrictions on daily life, with a series of raucous protests around the state, a legal tussle with Orange County over closing its beaches and a rural Northern California county that defied his stay-at-home order and opened up for business.
Remote Northern California county defies stay-at-home order
Modoc County moved Friday to reopen hair salons, churches, restaurants and the county’s only movie theater. There haven’t been any confirmed cases of COVID-19 among 9,000 residents, but the reopening came with strict social distancing limits.
Battle erupts in California over when to open
The debate over how soon to ease restrictions and start opening California has pitted local and state officials against one another in one of the states hit hardest by the coronavirus outbreak. It comes as other states such as Georgia and Texas are moving faster to open up their economies.
Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a new executive order on Friday that will allow some types of work — including construction, real estate and outdoor work — to resume next Thursday
Michigan House and Senate will not extend emergency declaration
The step came as hundreds of conservative activists, including some who were openly carrying rifles, returned to the Capitol to denounce her stay-at-home order.
Whitmer wanted lawmakers to extend her emergency declaration by 28 days. It expires late Thursday.
Wow…protestors make it INTO the Michigan Statehouse Think little miss Hitler wanna-be gets the message yet?
Members of the Michigan Liberty Militia stand guard with weapons and tactical gear in an angry protest before the Michigan statehouse
The “American Patriot Rally” started on the statehouse steps, where members of the Michigan Liberty Militia stood guard with weapons and tactical gear, their faces partially covered. They later moved inside the Capitol along with several hundred protesters, who demanded to be let onto the House floor, which is prohibited. Some protesters with guns — which are allowed in the statehouse — went to the Senate gallery, where a senator said some armed men shouted at her, and some senators wore bulletproof vests.
Reopen California protests at state capitol against coronavirus lockdown — WATCH LIVE
Protesters frustrated with ongoing shelter-in-place restrictions in California due to the novel coronavirus pandemic are gathering at the state capitol in Sacramento.
Tensions escalate in California: Cities file lawsuits against Gov. Newsom
People protest state’s stay-at-home orders; William La Jeunesse reports.
This California county might defy the state and lift stay-at-home order Friday
Modoc County, in the northeastern corner of California, is one of the least-populated counties in the state, with fewer than 9,000 residents. It plans to allow all businesses, schools and churches to reopen starting Friday, as long as people stay six feet apart, according to a statement signed by the county health officer, sheriff-coroner, chair of the Board of Supervisors, and other county officials.
California county to defy statewide stay-at-home order, allow businesses to reopen
Modoc County, Calif. — sparsely populated and located in the northeast corner of the state — is planning on reopening schools, hair salons, churches, restaurants and its lone movie theater on Friday, in direct defiance of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) statewide stay-at-home order.
Huntington Beach mounts legal fight against Newsom closure of O.C. beaches
The Huntington Beach City Council voted Thursday night during an emergency session to seek an injunction against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order to close Orange County beaches.
All state and local beaches in Orange County must temporarily close, Gov. Gavin Newsom says
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday directed the temporary “hard close” of state and local beaches in Orange County after thousands of Californians flocked to the shoreline there over the weekend in defiance of a statewide stay-at-home order enacted to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
35 states will have eased virus restrictions by Friday
Carter Evans reports.
Barr tells prosecutors to watch for pandemic restrictions that violate Constitution
In a two-page memorandum to the country’s 93 U.S. attorneys, Barr cautioned that some state and local directives could be infringing on protected religious, speech and economic rights.
“If a state or local ordinance crosses the line from an appropriate exercise of authority to stop the spread of COVID-19 into an overbearing infringement of constitutional and statutory protections, the Department of Justice may have an obligation to address that overreach in federal court,” Barr wrote.
California faces mounting pressure to ease stay-at-home rules, at least in some areas
There has been a growing movement from politicians in some rural or less urbanized parts of the state to request an easing of the rules, arguing that the situation there is not as severe as hot spots like Los Angeles County and Silicon Valley.
The latest request to Newsom comes from elected officials in Butte, Glenn, Tehama, Yuba, Sutter and Colusa counties in Northern California.
Tennessee, Mississippi, Montana reopen some businesses following other states easing coronavirus restrictions
The moves to reopen follow in the steps of Georgia, Oklahoma, and Alaska, which on Friday began loosening lockdown restrictions on businesses despite health officials warning the gradual return to daily life might be happening too soon.
Several states starting to reopen this weekend
In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee (R ) said on Monday that “the vast majority of businesses” will be allowed to reopen when the state’s stay-at-home order expires on April 30, and as of Friday state parks and dine-in restaurants were allowed to open with reduced capacity. Tennessee was one of the last states to issue a stay-at-home order.
Gov. Kemp Updates Georgians on COVID-19
„Given the favorable data, enhanced testing, and approval of our healthcare professionals, we will allow gyms, fitness centers, bowling alleys, body art studios, barbers, cosmetologists, hair designers, nail care artists, estheticians, their respective schools, and massage therapists to reopen their doors this Friday, April 24, 2020. Unlike other businesses, these entities have been unable to manage inventory, deal with payroll, and take care of administrative items while we shelter in place. This measure allows them to undertake baseline operations that most other businesses in the state have maintained since I issued the shelter-in-place order.
„This measure will apply statewide and will be the operational standard in all jurisdictions. This means local action cannot be taken that is more or less restrictive.
Nicola Stugeon promises ‚grown up conversation‘ with voters as she unveils Scottish government plans for easing lockdown
And it says the Scottish Government will likely keep in force bans on large gatherings – such as at public events and pubs – “for some time to come”.
It sets out six principles that will guide Scottish ministers in lifting measures, promising to make decisions that are “safe”, “lawful”, “evidence-based”, “fair & ethical”, “clear”, “realistic” and “collective”.
Here’s when all 50 states plan to reopen after coronavirus restrictions
Here are the reopening timelines announced so far by all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Krystal and Saagar: MSNBC guest’s OUTRAGEOUS smear of COVID protestors as ‚Fox News death cult‘
Krystal and Saagar talk about an MSNBC guest who called protestors advocating to re-open the government apart of a, ‚Fox News death cult.‘
Right now in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Americans are holding an anti quarantine demonstration which is due to go nationwide.
Residents protest coronavirus stay-at-home orders in 5 states
Protests occurred in Colorado, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee and Washington.
Governors headed for messy fight over coronavirus restrictions
Governors are heading for a clash with their own citizens and local officials as they weigh how and when to reopen the country’s economy amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Governors‘ Powers & Authority
– Legislative—including budget and veto—authority
Pennsylvania State Senate votes to override governor’s stay-at-home order
Wolf has not said whether he will sign the measure but has said he will consider it.
The ‚total authority‘ president punts to state governors
President Trump has moved from stating that he alone can fix it to telling America’s governors that they need to “call your own shots” when it comes to reopening their economies during the nation’s worst health crisis in 100 years.
That’s our top takeaway from Trump’s announcement Thursday on federal guidelines to reopen the country “that put the onus on governors of making decisions about their states‘ economies,” per NBC News.
READ: Trump’s guidelines for ‚Opening Up America Again‘
Read the White House’s plan for „Opening Up America Again“ here.
Trump Says States Can Start Reopening While Acknowledging the Decision Is Theirs
The guidelines released by the president effectively mean that any restoration of American society will take place on a patchwork basis.
Lawmakers push back against Trump by introducing resolution saying president’s authority ‘is not total’
A group of House members authored a new one-sentence resolution to remind President Trump of the limits on his power and challenged anyone in the House to vote against it.
On The Trail: Governors rebuke Trump for claiming ‚total‘ authority
A looming showdown between President Trump’s eagerness to revive a cratering economy and governors facing a deadly pandemic is leading to what could become the most contentious standoff between state and federal governments since the civil rights era.
For almost 250 years, the competing interests of states and the U.S. government have undergirded the most divisive debates in American history.
Tell the Democrat Governors that “Mutiny On The Bounty” was one of my all time favorite movies.
A good old fashioned mutiny every now and then is an exciting and invigorating thing to watch, especially when the mutineers need so much from the Captain. Too easy!
Gov. Cuomo: Trump Does Not Have Total Authority; „We Have A Constitution, We Don’t Have A King“
“ The president doesn’t have total authority. We have a constitution. We don’t have a king. We have an elected president. That’s what our founding fathers did when they wrote the constitution. And the constitution clearly says the powers that are not specifically listed for the federal government are reserved to the states. And the balance between federal and state authority was central to the constitution, it’s one of the great balances of power. „
‘The authority is total’: President Trump says he will decide when the economy reopens, not governors
Trump would not offer specifics about the source of his asserted power, which he claimed, despite constitutional limitations, was absolute.
“When somebody is president of the United States, the authority is total,” Trump said Monday at the White House. “The governors know that.”
Scientists say many more people than previously thought could have acquired coronavirus immunity after discovering 15% of people in city dubbed ‚German Wuhan‘ could be carrying antibodies
An immunity rate of 15 per cent is already enough to slow the spread of the virus significantly, they added.
However, they admitted that all governments need to collect more data as the world still doesn’t know enough about the virus.
Last week, research conducted by Prof Streeck showed that the home of one infected family did not have ‚any live virus on any surface‘, adding even more questions as to how the virus is spread from person to person.
Prof Streeck said the virus had not even been found on door knobs or animal fur.
Wisconsin Republicans say they will ask Supreme Court to block extended absentee voting
(04.04.2020)
The Wisconsin Republican Party has requested that the U.S. Supreme Court block extended absentee voting in the state’s presidential primary scheduled for Tuesday.
Many other states who were supposed to have primaries in April have rescheduled them for a later date due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Wisconsin is still slated to go through with its election as planned.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Sides With GOP Over Absentee Voting Guidance
(31.03.2020)
The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Republican Party of Wisconsin on Tuesday in a case related to Wisconsin’s upcoming election.
The party brought the case against Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell last week.
McDonell issued guidance last week that any Dane County voter confined by the COVID-19 pandemic could mark themselves as „indefinitely confined“ on their absentee ballot application. Doing so would allow them to bypass the state’s voter ID requirement in their application.
Democratic senators want probe into change of national stockpile description
A group of Senate Democrats want a federal watchdog to investigate the decision to change an online description of the country’s Strategic National Stockpile following a press briefing with White House adviser Jared Kushner.
Trump administration edits national stockpile website a day after it contradicted Jared Kushner
The website of the Strategic National Stockpile was edited on Friday to soften language about how the stockpile is supposed to be used by states — a day after media outlets reported that the original version contradicted a claim by senior White House official Jared Kushner.
Jared Kushner makes coronavirus briefing appearance, draws backlash for ‚our stockpile‘ comment
Kushner, the president’s son-in-law who doesn’t often make public appearances, says he has been serving on the coronavirus task force at the direction of Vice President Mike Pence.
When asked about data showing states‘ need for equipment, Kushner said, „The notion of the federal stockpile is that it’s supposed to be our stockpile. It’s not supposed to be states‘ stockpiles that they then use.“
Despite isolation, Uusimaa accounts for 61% of new coronavirus cases
Despite government orders to restrict movements, tighten controls at airports and isolate the capital area to contain the spread of the virus, the number of infections registered in the region of Helsinki increased to 934.
This is 38 cases more than those reported on Tuesday and this amount also represents 61% of the total of new infections detected in Finland.
Trump resists pressure to declare nationwide stay-at-home order
President Trump is holding back on declaring a nationwide stay-at-home order, even as some governors resist imposing restrictions that Trump’s top public health officials say are needed to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The president has been reluctant to wade into matters he argues are better left to governors.
‚We’re not playing around‘: Md. Gov. Hogan says arrest for coronavirus offense sends ‚great message‘
And on Monday, Hogan announced he issuing a „stay at home“ directive for the state, which makes it a misdemeanor for residents to leave their homes except to get food, medicine or medical treatment as of 8 p.m. EDT.
Earlier this month, Hogan issued an executive order making it a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both, for people to hold large gatherings.
Rhode Island’s Governor Sends the National Guard Out in a Door-to-Door Search for New Yorkers
For those wondering if this violates the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, the National Guard can be used to assist state and local law enforcement, if invited by the state’s governor.
Governor issues stay-at-home order for South Florida
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Monday announced that he is issuing a stay-at-home order for the southern portion of the state as the number of positive coronavirus cases grows.
The order will apply to Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Monroe counties through the middle of May.
Maryland, Virginia, DC issue stay-at-home orders for all residents
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) all urged residents to only leave their homes to buy food and carry out essential tasks.
Donald Trump decides against quarantine for New York region
Donald Trump decided late on Saturday against imposing a broad lockdown on New York and its neighbours after a strong pushback from local political leaders and warnings of the panic it could spark.
Trump says coronavirus quarantine on New York, New Jersey, Connecticut not necessary, CDC issues 14-day ‚travel advisory‘
„A quarantine will not be necessary,“ he tweeted, noting that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would issue a „travel advisory“ later in the evening.
The CDC shortly after issued a Domestic Travel Advisory urging against „non-essential domestic travel“ in the tri-state area for 14 days.
Martial Law Would Sweep the Country Into a Great Legal Unknown
n 1946, after the war ended, the Supreme Court ruled in Duncan v. Kahanamoku that the statute authorizing martial law in Hawaii did not enable military trials of civilians, and it warned against the “subordination of executive, legislative and judicial authorities to complete military rule”—but it offered no further guidance about the circumstances that would justify a declaration of martial law, or about the consequences of such a declaration. Nor has Congress ever tried to clarify the criteria for or limits of martial law.
Cuomo says possible NY quarantine ‚would be chaos and mayhem‘
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo responds to President Donald Trump considering a short-term quarantine of coronavirus „hot spots,“ including New York.
Cuomo: Quarantine would be federal declaration of war on states
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo reacts to President Donald Trump floating the idea of a temporary quarantine for New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Trump considering quarantine for New York and parts of New Jersey, Connecticut
Trump suggested the quarantine would be travel based, meaning people inside the quarantine area couldn’t travel to other places in the country. He also said he would talk to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) about the possible quarantine.
Cuomo said he had talked to the president Saturday morning but that they hadn’t discussed a quarantine.
Gouged prices, middlemen and medical supply chaos: Why governors are so upset with Trump
Masks that used to cost pennies now cost several dollars. Companies outside the traditional supply chain offer wildly varying levels of price and quality. Health authorities say they have few other choices to meet their needs in a ‘dog-eat-dog’ battle.
More than 90 infections linked to Seoul call center, numbers feared to rise
Commercial and office spaces on the first to 12th floors of the building, which include a wedding hall and a Starbucks franchise, have been shut down, while the city government is closely monitoring residents who live on the 13th to 19th floors of the building, he said.
The health ministry, meanwhile, said that five of the 207 workers were found to be followers of Shincheonji, which is associated with more than 60 percent of South Korea’s total infections.
All five have so far tested negative,
S. Korea’s virus cases rebound amid cluster infection in Seoul
Seoul’s confirmed cases jumped by 52 to 193, with at least 65 cases linked to a call center in Guro Ward and another 14 cases linked to Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital in Eunpyeong Ward. Another 13 cases in Seoul came from an apartment building in Seongdong Ward.
Incheon’s cases rose by 12 to 25, with 14 cases linked to the Guro call center. Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul and Incheon, saw confirmed cases climb by 12 to 175, with 26 cases tied to Shincheonji and 13 cases tied to the Guro call center.
South Korea hopes its coronavirus epidemic has peaked—but there’s risk of a ‘second wave’
According to the local Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), there were 131 new cases as of March 10, compared to 248 and 367 new cases the previous two days, respectively. However, the KCDC does note the decline in Daegu and Gyeongbuk region—where the majority of cases are—is because nearly all members of the Shincheonji church at the center of the outbreak now have been tested.
German Voters Get First Chance to Weigh In on Political Chaos
Germany’s political establishment was rocked earlier this month after the CDU’s chapter in Thuringia cast its lot in with the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany, or AfD, to install the eastern state’s premier. The fallout sent shockwaves across the nation and was the main catalyst for Kramp-Karrenbauer’s resignation.
To add to the sense of chaos, tensions around extremist activity in Germany intensified late Wednesday, when an assailant killed 11 people, including himself, in the city of Hanau near Frankfurt.
American Federation of Musicians Local 47 Endorses Bernie Sanders for President
The American Federation of Musicians Local 47 is proud to endorse Bernie Sanders for President of the United States in the 2020 Primary Election.
Members of the Los Angeles musicians union’s political action committee voted unanimously to recommend that the AFM Local 47 executive board – the elected leadership body of the 7,000-member union – endorse Sen. Sanders as the candidate who best represents the interests of musicians. On Tuesday, the board in turn voted unanimously to endorse Sanders in an unprecedented move for a union historically removed from taking official stances in presidential elections.
Merkel’s Succession Plan Unravels as Protégée Ends Leadership Bid
Angela Merkel’s succession plan is in tatters. Who runs Germany next is anyone’s guess
Angela Merkel’s grand transition plan has derailed after her handpicked successor, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, unexpectedly called it quits on Monday.
Kramp-Karrenbauer, better known as AKK, announced she would not stand as the Christian Democratic Union’s (CDU) candidate to be German chancellor in the next federal election. She is also stepping down as the party’s chairwoman, according to the CDU’s press office
Germany’s Kramp-Karrenbauer to Step Down as CDU Leader
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer plans to step down as leader of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, a spokesman for the party said in a statement on Monday. Kramp-Karrenbauer will also not seek to run as chancellor candidate for the CDU in the next election.
Italy’s center-left seen beating League in key regional vote: exit poll
An exit poll for state television RAI said the PD incumbent was seen taking between 47.0%-51.0% of the vote, while the rightist candidate looked on course to take 44.0%-48.0%.
Boris Johnson thanks voters for backing Tories in Tony Blair’s old constituency
“And I can imagine people’s pencil’s hovering over the ballot paper and wavering before coming down for us and the Conservatives, and I know that people may have been breaking the voting habits of generations to vote for us.
“And I want the people of the North East to know that we in the Conservative Party and I will repay your trust – and everything that we do, everything that I do as your Prime Minister, will be devoted to repaying that trust.
Boris Johnson announces plans for spending spree in north
Boris Johnson is considering a raid on a £80bn fund to fuel an infrastructure blitz in regions that helped deliver his election victory, it has emerged.
Speaking in Tony Blair’s former seat, Sedgefield, which voted in a Tory MP last week, Johnson said his party “will repay your trust” and that voters had “changed the Conservative party for the better”.
Boris Johnson visits north-east England after Conservative gains
Speaking in Tony Blair’s old constituency, Boris Johnson has thanked Conservative activists and voters across north-east England for the party’s electoral gains in the region.
General election 2019: PM to visit north after Labour heartland gains
Boris Johnson is to visit the north of England later, hours after celebrating his party’s biggest election win for 30 years by sweeping aside Labour in its traditional heartlands.
I’m standing to be Stoke North’s MP on an Independent platform. I will vote and campaign to deliver brexit, Increase funds to our public services, regenerate our area and reform our democracy. No Party Whip. No special Interests. Just honesty and integrity. #MD4MP
(02.12.2019)
We urge Brexiteers in Stoke-on-Trent Central to vote for .@gareth_snell- he voted for the deal and opposes a second referendum. A democrat and Brexiteer. Vote for Gareth tomorrow.
We urge Brexiteers in Barnsley East to vote for .@Steph_Peacock she respects the result, opposes a second referendum and voted for the deal. A true champion for her constituents and democracy. Vote for Stephanie Peacock tomorrow.
✅ 21 times voted to deliver Brexit ✅ 3 times voted for a Brexit Deal I have stood with Don Valley voters now I ask you to stand by me. #flint4donvalley
We urge every Brexiteer in Blackley and Broughton to vote for Graham Stringer. He campaigned to leave and opposes a second referendum. Vote for Graham Stringer on December 12th.
We urge every Brexiteer in Grimsby to back .@OnnMel she opposes a second referendum and voted for Boris Johnson’s deal. A champion for Grimsby, democracy and Brexit.
We urge everyone in Barnsley to vote for .@DanJarvisMP- who opposes a second referendum, and who voted for the withdrawal deal. A true democrat. Vote for Dan Jarvis on December 12th.
Two Israeli Communists among Protestors Injured at Kafr Qaddum
One of the two Israeli Communist demonstrators injured at Kafr Qaddum is evacuated by Palestinians, last Friday October 4. (Photo: Zo Haderech)
Minister in charge of police says ‚very violent‘ culture to blame for Arab sector violence
Public Security and Strategic Affairs Gilad Erdan draws ire of Joint List leader who calls the remarks ‚racist‘ and accuses the minister of victim blaming; comments come in wake of protests against lack of police response to rise of violence in Israel’s Arab communities.
Arab Israelis vow to continue protests against violence, police neglect
Many Israeli-Arab communities have experienced a recent surge in violence, with some 70 people killed in 2019, marking a 20% increase from last year. This September, 13 Arab-Israeli civilians were murdered.
Arab leaders place most of the blame on the Israeli authorities, accusing police of not putting enough effort into fighting illegal firearms.
Wall Street Is Killing Local Newspapers
Perhaps the most infamous recent example was the breakdown of the 127-year-old Denver Post. Since private equity firm Alden Global acquired the paper, it has cut two out of every three staff positions — twice the industry rate for downsizing.
To add insult to injury, the firm has been using staff pension funds as its own personal piggy bank. In total, they’ve moved nearly $250 million into investment accounts in the Cayman Islands.
Italy’s 5-Star Backs Local Pact with Center-Left PD
By joining forces in Umbria, traditionally a PD stronghold, 5-Star and the PD hope to halt a long streak of victories by the center-right, which has triumphed in seven regional ballots since the national election in March 2018.
Success at the Oct. 27 Umbria vote would probably pave the way for similar alliances in the next few months in the regions of Emilia-Romagna in the industrial north, and Calabria in the poorer south.
Brexit Party Take Over Hartlepool Council
The defecting 10 met with the Brexit Party at Nigel Farage’s rally in Sedgefield two days ago, where they informed Richard Tice of their decision. Guido suspects this will be far from the last council taken over by the Brexit Party if we don’t leave on the 31st…
ARE YOU SERIOUSLY CHEERING A FELONY AGAINST A CONGRESSMAN
‚Too bad‘: Trump reacts to burglary at Cummings‘ Baltimore home after week of attacks
President Donald Trump appeared to sarcastically call out a break-in at Rep. Elijah Cummings‘ Baltimore home after a week of attacking the prominent African American lawmaker over the conditions of his Baltimore district — even comparing the city’s murder rate to third world countries.
„Really bad news! The Baltimore house of Elijah Cummings was robbed. Too bad!“ the President tweeted on Friday morning.
Liberal Democrats win Brecon and Radnorshire by-election as Johnson suffers first defeat as PM
Jane Dodds, the Lib Dems‘ leader in Wales, won with 43.5% of the vote, ahead of former Tory MP Chris Davies on 39% after he triggered the by-election following his conviction for submitting false expenses.
Brecon and Radnorshire by-election: Polls close in first test for new PM Boris Johnson
Polls have closed in the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election as new prime minister Boris Johnson faces his first test at the ballot box.
Live updates as Brecon and Radnorshire by-election polls open
Polls have now opened in the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election.
The 93 polling stations in the constituency are open until 10pm tonight.
Brecon by-election: Loss will pile huge pressure on Johnson putting Tory majority to ONE
Mr Davies was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay £2,500 towards legal costs, whilst also forced to carry out 50 hours of community service.
He was again chosen by the Tories to fight for the crucial Parliamentary seat after more than 10,000 constituents signed a petition to remove him.
Better to have a few rats than to be one
Finally, while we would not sink to name-calling in the Trumpian manner — or ruefully point out that he failed to spell the congressman’s name correctly (it’s Cummings, not Cumming) — we would tell the most dishonest man to ever occupy the Oval Office, the mocker of war heroes, the gleeful grabber of women’s private parts, the serial bankrupter of businesses, the useful idiot of Vladimir Putin and the guy who insisted there are “good people” among murderous neo-Nazis that he’s still not fooling most Americans into believing he’s even slightly competent in his current post. Or that he possesses a scintilla of integrity. Better to have some vermin living in your neighborhood than to be one.
Baltimore Sun editorial board lashes out at Trump: ‚Better to have a few rats than to be one‘
The Baltimore Sun editorial board ripped President Trump as the „most dishonest man to ever occupy the Oval Office“ on Saturday in a scorching piece after Trump referred to Rep. Elijah Cummings‘ (D-Md.) 7th congressional district, which includes west Baltimore, as a „rat and rodent infested mess.“
@RepCummings is a champion in the Congress and the country for civil rights and economic justice, a beloved leader in Baltimore, and deeply valued colleague. We all reject racist attacks against him and support his steadfast leadership. #ElijahCummingsIsAPatriot
CNN’s Victor Blackwell tears up defending hometown over Trump attacks
CNN’s Victor Blackwell became emotional while responding to President Donald Trump’s tweets calling Rep. Elijah Cummings‘ (D-MD) district a „very dangerous & filthy place“ and calls out the President’s repeated use of the word „infested“ while attacking minority lawmakers.
Baltimore stands up for its city after Trump tweets ’no human being would want to live there‘
Trump tweeted Saturday morning that Baltimore was a „disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess,“ saying that „no human being would want to live there.“
The President’s rant was directed at Rep. Elijah Cummings, who represents Maryland’s 7th Congressional District and recently lambasted conditions at the border.
Boris Johnson stokes early general election speculation and denies sounding like Labour politicians
“The story has been for young people growing up there of hopelessness, or the hope that one day they will get out and never come back. The crucial point is it certainly isn’t really the fault of the places, and certainly isn’t the fault of the people growing up there.
They haven’t failed. It’s we, us, the politicians, our politics has failed them.”
PM Boris Johnson pledges £3.6 billion boost for ‚left behind towns‘ after promising Manchester-Leeds rail link
In a clear pitch to traditional Labour voters, Mr Johnson insisted that politicians had failed people in the North.
He said: “The centre of Manchester, like the centre of London, is a wonder of the world.
“A few miles away from here, the story is very different.
“The story has been for young people growing up there of hopelessness, or the hope that one day they will get out and never come back.
“It could have been me”–participants of memorial and protest wear black, shed tears for woman killed by U.S. soldier
(02.06.2019)
“It could have been me…” At an emergency memorial and protest held June 2 to remember the murder of a woman by a serviceman in the U.S. Marine Corps in Chatan, Okinawa in April, participants prayed for the victim to rest in peace and confirmed the importance of thinking of the incident not as someone else’s sorrow but as an event directly involving each and every person in Okinawa.
‘Talk Caravan’ brings Okinawa base dispute to national level
(12.06.2019)
In a prefectural referendum in February, a decisive 72 percent of voters in Okinawa expressed opposition to the base relocation.
Tamaki’s pledge to halt the base transfer led to his overwhelming victory in the gubernatorial election last September.