Some of last week’s losses reversed after EU’s Michel Barnier says deal is possibleThe pound edged higher in value against the dollar and the euro on Monday as investors digested claims that a deal in the UK’s trade negotiations with the EU had taken a step closer.The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, said on Monday he believed a Brexit trade agreement was possible now the remaining disputes had been whittled down to only two. Continue reading...
An intensive care unit nurse is believed to have become the first person in the US to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine on Monday. Sandra Lindsay, who has treated some of the sickest coronavirus patients for months, was given the vaccine at Long Island Jewish medical centre in the New York City borough of Queens, an early centre of the country's outbreak, receiving applause on a livestream with the New York governor, Andrew Cuomo
The constitution demands that electors formally cast votes for president – but what is the electoral college?Yes, Joe Biden has won and all US states have certified their election results. But the constitution demands that the electoral college formally cast its vote for president. The constitution requires “electors” to cast those votes – 538 such electors make up the electoral college. Continue reading...
Small Business Administration’s Section 7(a) loan program is an excellent choice because loan requirements are less onerousAs if small firms haven’t had enough to deal with this year, now there’s something else: traditional bank loans are drying up.That’s according to the latest monthly report from financing firm Biz2Credit. The company’s sSmall business lending index, which analyzes the more than 1,000 loan requests each month from small business owners on its lending platform, found that the number of requests approved by banks have been significantly dropping. Continue reading...
State health department warns that eating ‘tiger meat’ or ‘steak tartare’ risks illnesses from bacteria that thrive in raw meatWisconsinites turning to comforting family traditions during the holiday season have been warned by their state health department to avoid one in particular: cannibal sandwiches.The sandwiches – also known as “tiger meat” and, for the fancier-minded, “steak tartare” – consist of ground raw meat, typically beef, on a slice of bread, topped with raw onions. Continue reading...
Lindsey Boylan tweeted that Cuomo ‘sexually harassed me for years. Many saw it, and watched’A former aide to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo now running for Manhattan borough president accused him of sexual harassment in a series of tweets on Sunday, saying he made inappropriate comments about her appearance.The allegation comes as the 63-year-old Democrat is reported to be under consideration for attorney general under Joe Biden. Continue reading...
by Juliane Glüge, Martin Scheringer and Gretta Golde on (#5BMD1)
PFAS, which can be hazardous to our health, are found everywhere. We need to regulate them as a classThe thousands of chemicals known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are called “forever chemicals” because of their extreme resistance to degradation, called “persistence”. Each of us carries these chemicals in our bodies, and people will continue to be exposed for generations to come.Many PFAS can affect our health. Exposures have been linked to kidney and testicular cancer, elevated cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, liver damage, low birth weight, reduced immune responses and other negative impacts. Continue reading...
When we see athletes test positive and return to play a few weeks later, it is tempting to believe the virus is merely an inconvenience to sports starsWhen Keyontae Johnson collapsed on the basketball court on Saturday, college sports temporarily stood as still as his teammates. He was rushed to the hospital where he is currently in stable but critical condition. There are many possible causes for Johnson’s condition, but in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the fact that the 21-year-old and many of his team tested positive for the virus over the summer didn’t go unnoticed. While it may well turn out that Johnson’s collapse this weekend had nothing to do with Covid-19, there is growing evidence the virus can have serious effects on athletes, even when it appears they have made a full recovery.The Covid-19 pandemic has shown how a society’s desire to return to “normal” can clash with science. Earlier this year, US college sports’ governing body, the NCAA, initially cancelled all winter and spring men’s and women’s championships, including the March Madness basketball tournaments, due to coronavirus concerns. Most other leagues in North America soon followed suit. Since then, some sports have returned, with the NBA managing to successfully navigate a bubble to complete its season. The NFL, however, has been less successful with games postponed or cancelled with increasing frequency as Covid-19 surges across the US. Now, the spotlight is back on NCAA basketball. Continue reading...
Kelly Loeffler spokesman disavows photo of her posing with white supremacist Chester Doles at campaign eventThe campaign of the Georgia Republican senator Kelly Loeffler is disavowing a photo circulating on social media of her posing with a longtime white supremacist at a recent campaign event, with less than a month to go until the runoff elections that will determine the balance of the US Senate.Loeffler did not know who Chester Doles was when she took a picture with him, her campaign spokesman, Stephen Lawson, said on Sunday. The picture was taken on Friday at a campaign event in Dawsonville, Georgia. Continue reading...
The electoral college will vote today to formally make Biden the 46th president-in-waiting, but Trump is continuing to contest the result. Plus, the treasury has been hacked and fingers are pointing to Russia
In the state’s Central, Eastern Coachella and Imperial valleys, several challenges have compounded to create a tenor of uncertaintyPhotographs and story by Matt BlackNowhere are the effects of the multiple crises that hit California this year more visible than in the state’s agricultural valleys.The region faced a list of challenges almost too long to comprehend: record-breaking heat, smog and smoke from historic wildfires resulting in air quality too poor to be outside in. High rates of Covid-19 infections and the anxiety, isolation and job losses that go with it. Tensions around a divisive election. Fears and conflict over immigration policies. Continue reading...
With surging cases forcing drastic state measures, already struggling industries take yet another blowLaurie Thomas had high hopes that her restaurant, Terzo, would be able to stay open this holiday season. Her team had been serving its upscale Mediterranean fare from the restaurant’s San Francisco sidewalk after adjusting to outside-only dining requirements.But as California saw a dramatic surge in Covid cases in recent weeks, Governor Gavin Newsom issued stricter shutdown orders that again restricted businesses and put an end to outdoor dining. Continue reading...
by Oliver Laughland in Warner Robins, Georgia and Sam on (#5BM71)
Black voters helped propel Biden past Trump to flip the state and organizers who mobilized voters are optimistic they will turn out again and predict, in fact, that turnout will riseAs James Brown’s funk classic Say it loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud pulsed through the mobile sound system, Cliff Albright marched up a steep roadway, bellowing into a microphone trying to get people out of their doors.“Let’s go y’all,” he said. “Black voters matter every day, everywhere.” Continue reading...
The Chicago quarterback was selected before two of the best players of their generation. He has been struggling to prove himself ever sinceAt this point, every game the Chicago Bears play against either the Houston Texans or the Kansas City Chiefs provides another excuse to revisit the 2017 NFL draft. To be more specific, they are opportunities to mock the Bears for selecting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky with the second pick, something which allowed the Chiefs and Texans to select the vastly superior Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson at Nos 10 and 12 respectively. This Sunday, at least, Trubisky was the one laughing, putting together one of the finest performances of his Bears career at the expense of Watson and the Texans. Now the question is: will Trubisky’s impressive game be a sign of things to come or was it just a statistical blip?To say that nobody expects much from Trubisky is an understatement. The Bears finally gave up on Trubisky as their starter earlier this season, replacing him with Nick Foles. However, Foles injured his hip against the Minnesota Vikings, paving the way for Trubisky to lead a team that had already publicly lost confidence in him. The Bears haven’t exactly been world-beaters with either quarterback, as they were coming off a six-game losing streak heading into the game against Houston. Continue reading...
Gunman died in hospital after shooting at Cathedral Church of Saint John the DivineA man has been shot dead by police after opening fire from the steps of New York City’s Cathedral Church of St John the Divine just after an outdoor choir performance.New York police department spokesman, Sergeant Edward Riley, said the gunman had fired on police, but no officers or bystanders were believed to have been injured in the late-afternoon violence on Manhattan’s upper west side. Continue reading...
Jill Biden says writer of opinion article is ‘diminishing’ the achievements of women as presidential transition team demands apologyThe Wall Street Journal has come under a torrent of denunciation for publishing a “sexist” opinion article that calls Jill Biden, the first lady-in-waiting, “kiddo”, and questions her right to use “Dr” in front of her name.The article, written by a former adjunct professor at Northwestern University Joseph Epstein, purports to offer Biden “a bit of advice”. Opening on the provocative note of calling her “Madame (sic) First Lady – Mrs Biden – Jill – kiddo”, the author goes on to recommend that she drop the honorific of “Dr” before her name. Continue reading...
by Martin Chulov Middle East correspondent on (#5BKHY)
Exclusive: US policy, if enacted, would hinder deliveries of badly needed aid in war-torn countryThe Trump administration is facing mounting calls to abandon threats to sanction Houthi rebels in northern Yemen to avoid an imminent danger of extreme famine in the country, where almost two-thirds of the population are in need of food aid.US state department officials are considering designating the Houthis as a terrorist group before the 20 January inauguration of Joe Biden, a move that would complicate the delivery of essential aid in large parts of the country, senior UN officials and NGOs have said. Continue reading...
Trump and Kushner reportedly buying property as a potential base for soon to be ex-first daughter to launch political careerSpeculation about the post-White House career of Ivanka Trump is now centered on Florida, where the soon to be ex-first daughter and senior aide to her president father has reportedly bought an expensive plot of land for a house and may be considering a run for Senate.Ivanka Trump is frequently mentioned as desiring a political career of her own and during her time working for Donald Trump has sought to position herself as a more media-friendly version of her father. Continue reading...
President Museveni promised much when he took power but, 34 years on, violence and poverty are rifeTo survive as an opposition politician in Uganda, you have to hit the campaign trail wearing a bulletproof vest and helmet. You must be ready for war. Ugandan musician turned opposition politician Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, discovered this when he decided to challenge incumbent Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s 34-year stranglehold on power at elections scheduled for 14 January. On the first day Kyagulanyi stepped out to campaign, he wore his vest over red overalls that made him look like a prisoner.“I do not dress like this because I want to. I dress like this because there are people after my life. They think that by killing me, they will have it better. They do not know that if I die, it will only get worse,” he told the crowd outside his house. Continue reading...
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is using her millennial’s instinct for social media and her star quality to get her message acrossWhen life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Or talk up a storm about the minimum wage, healthcare and the existential struggle for democracy.Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s latest Instagram live stream found the youngest woman ever elected to the US Congress standing at a chopping board with two lemons and a plastic jug as she expounded her political philosophy. Continue reading...
Millions of renters are at risk of losing their homes if lawmakers don’t expand protectionsMillions of California renters are at risk of eviction as tenant protections soon expire, raising fears of a mass surge in homelessness during the deadliest phase of the pandemic so far. Continue reading...
Far-right groups, including Proud Boys, clashed with counter-protesters after a largely peaceful march against US president-elect Joe Biden’s election victory on Saturday.
Americans across the country say they can’t afford rent and fear losing their home when CDC eviction moratorium ends soonBefore the pandemic hit, 34-year-old Andrew Perry of New Orleans worked in bars and did live sound engineering for shows. But now, with venues closed, Perry has struggled to find another job, even at minimum wage, while his unemployment benefits have been reduced to just $90 per week. He’s worrying about losing his home.Related: Trump under fire for hosting Christmas parties as Covid deaths mount Continue reading...
The UK will soon be on its own – sovereign, in charge and control regained. Yet none of that creates jobs or ensures a glorious futureAfter a lifetime close to the workings of government, I approach drafting an article about Brexit for a Sunday publication with trepidation. Both sides have said a decision will be taken today, but not what that may be; and anyway, can you believe that any decision will really be the last?What I do know is that both sides will be presenting the story that best serves their negotiating positions and pleases their most important audiences. Facts are in short supply; there is a plethora of spin. Continue reading...
Closing Mercy hospital, an oasis in a medical desert on the South Side, would worsen racial health disparities, activists sayActivists, medical professionals and community members in Chicago are rallying against the looming closure of Mercy hospital – the oldest healthcare facility in the city, and one of its most storied – warning that its closure would drastically worsen racial health disparities in the city. Continue reading...
Closing the notorious prison facility on Cuba will be complex and politically thankless. Is Joe Biden prepared to take it on?When news of Joe Biden’s election victory crossed the Florida Straits and reached Guantánamo Bay, it gave at least some of the 40 remaining inmates a tentative hope that their long purgatory might finally be nearing an end.“I think it’s OK for me to be happy about the result. But at the same time, it’s not like, day one, Biden is going to say ‘let’s release Khalid’,” Khalid Qassim, a Yemeni arrested in Afghanistan in 2001, said in a statement given by phone to his lawyer. Continue reading...
by Oliver Laughland in Atlanta and Sam Levine in New on (#5BK5S)
As Trump relentlessly pushes false claims of fraud, some fear lower turnout – while poll workers fear for their safetyAs the sun dipped on a crisp autumnal evening in southern Georgia, Lauren Voyle stood in line for a front-row seat on the makeshift risers at the Valdosta regional airport. Donald Trump was due to arrive on the tarmac in a few hours’ time.It was the first time the president would hold a rally since losing the election in November and Voyle, who wore a blue Trump 2020 cap with the slogan “Keep Liberals Crying” on the rim, had driven four and a half hours from Cuming, a small city in the northern part of the state, to witness what she described as a historic moment. Continue reading...
Jack Goldsmith and Bob Bauer, a Republican and a Democrat, consider how to mend a broken governmentAt times, the Trump administration has seemed like a wrecking ball, careening from floor to floor of a building being destroyed, observers never quite knowing where the ball will strike next. At others, it has worked stealthily to undermine rules and norms, presumably fearing that, as the great supreme court justice Louis Brandeis wrote, “sunshine is the best of disinfectants”.Related: What next? Three books for America after Trump Continue reading...
Four people reportedly stabbed and 23 arrested in the aftermath of a march to denounce Joe Biden’s election victoryViolence has broken out in the streets of Washington DC after far-right groups clashed with counter-protesters in the aftermath of a march by conservatives protesting against US president-elect Joe Biden’s election victory.The trouble flared as darkness fell and crowds began to disperse in the wake of a largely peaceful demonstration on Saturday by Trump supporters who allege without evidence that the 3 November election was tainted by fraud. Continue reading...
by Joanna Walters and Victoria Bekiempis in New York on (#5BJZG)
Supporters continue to insist election was ‘stolen’ even as electoral college prepares to confirm Joe Biden’s victoryDonald Trump lost a federal court challenge on Saturday in Wisconsin while judges said yet another case being fought there “smacks of racism”. Continue reading...
Firefighters are often thrust into frontline health emergencies. During the pandemic, they’ve paid an especially high priceAs a boy, Robert Weber chased the blazing lights and roaring sirens of fire engines down the streets of Brooklyn, New York. Continue reading...
by Victoria Bekiempis in New York and agencies on (#5BJVE)
Police say six people were injured when a car plowed into Black Lives Matter demonstrators in ManhattanOne woman was arrested after allegedly driving her car into a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters in Manhattan Friday afternoon, injuring six, the New York police department (NYPD) said. Continue reading...
Footage shows a vehicle driving into a crowd of about 50 people at a protest on Friday afternoon in the middle of Manhattan, injuring multiple people. The incident happened after 4pm at the corner of 39th Street and Third Avenue in midtown east, police said, adding that the woman behind the wheel of the BMW sedan who drove into the crowd was detained for questioning by law enforcement.
15 March 1933 – 18 September 2020The revered US supreme court justice’s former clerk recalls a friend who cared passionately about the dignity and rights of all
Six people were taken by ambulance to local hospitals, the New York fire department saidA vehicle plowed into a crowd of about 50 people at a protest on Friday afternoon in the middle of Manhattan, injuring multiple people, the New York City police department said.The incident happened after 4pm at the corner of 39th Street and Third Avenue in midtown east, police said, adding that the woman behind the wheel of the BMW sedan who drove into the crowd was detained for questioning by law enforcement. Continue reading...
Racking up executions at the end of your presidency would be disgusting at the best of times. Doing it during a pandemic takes cruelty to a new level Continue reading...
Court blocks baseless effort by Republicans to undo Joe Biden’s victory in four statesThe US supreme court has unanimously rejected a baseless lawsuit filed by Texas seeking to overturn the presidential election result, dealing the biggest blow yet to Donald Trump’s assault on democracy.In a brief, one page order, all nine justices on America’s highest court dismissed the longshot effort to throw out the vote counts in four states that the president lost: Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Continue reading...
Republicans in 2020 have established what may be a new template for subverting the vote that could haunt elections for yearsThe decisive rejection by the US supreme court of an attempt by one state, Texas, to throw out election results in four other states might prevent the recurrence of such an effort in future presidential elections.But the Texas lawsuit was not the only unprecedented attack to be leveled on US democracy during the November presidential election, and other such efforts could escalate in, or echo through, future elections for an unknown time to come. Continue reading...
This is extraordinary: a group of Republicans are asking the court to disenfranchise millions of Americans, just so their guy can stay putHow does a two-party democracy continue to function when one side simply won’t play by the rules – and doesn’t seem to believe in the democratic project?Related: Republicans' devotion to Trump pits them against democracy, history – and reality Continue reading...
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