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Showing posts from August, 2021

Labour staff warn Keir Starmer redundancies likely to lead to strike

Party seeking to cut 90 jobs but union ballots suggest making them compulsory would spark action Labour staff have put Keir Starmer on notice that any move to make compulsory redundancies as part of a drastic cost-cutting drive is likely to result in strike action. David Evans, the party’s general secretary, told staff in July that the party’s management were seeking at least 90 redundancies as they try to repair Labour finances after several costly legal battles and three general elections in six years. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3zMaw3P

Louisiana governor tells Hurricane Ida evacuees it’s too soon to return

More than 1m homes and businesses in Louisiana and Mississippi without power but restoration could take weeks The Louisiana governor, John Bel Edwards, has told those who fled their homes amid the aftermath of Hurricane Ida to not come home until officials say otherwise. Related: Man missing after alligator attack in Hurricane Ida floods, officials say Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3gO1A6y

9/11: Inside the President’s War Room review – astonishing and petrifying

This remarkable documentary shows exactly how 9/11 unfolded for George W Bush, from the multiple prayer breaks to the anti-anthrax pills – and the vow to ‘kick ass’ before he knew whose ass to kick There is a particular kind of political documentary that tries to put us “in the room”, to tell us how historic decisions were made and how the fallible humans who made them felt. But on 11 September 2001, when planes hijacked by al-Qaida terrorists destroyed the twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center and took the lives of nearly 3,000 Americans, the chaos was such that there was no single “room”. President George W Bush and his advisers, afraid for their own safety and constantly searching for information, were on the move all day and had to conduct their business in airbase bunkers, the back room of a school and aboard the president’s jet, Air Force One. Nevertheless, 9/11: Inside the President’s War Room (BBC One) gives the sensation of being in the room in a way that few document

Welsh teen in hospital with Covid targeted online by anti-vaxxers

17-year-old accused of being an “actress paid by the government” after urging young people to get vaccinated Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage A 17-year-old in hospital with coronavirus has said she has been targeted by anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists on social media after urging young people to have the vaccine. Maisy Evans said she has been accused of being a “liar” and an “actress paid by the government” by online trolls. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2WytVqB

Unstoppable movement: how New Zealand’s Māori are reclaiming land with occupations

Since 1975, Māori have been able to reclaim land through a tribunal – but its reach is limited and now they are exploring other options Two years ago, a small pocket of land three kilometres from Auckland’s international airport became the most prominent site of a struggle by Māori , New Zealand’s indigenous people, to reclaim land confiscated by the crown more than 150 years ago. Ihumātao contains evidence of New Zealand’s first commercial gardens, where thousands of hectares were planted with kumara, a tropical sweet potato which thrived in the warm and nutritious soil. The adjacent stonefields, today a category one Unesco heritage site, are rich with ancient nurseries and storage pits. When William Hobson, then-governor of New Zealand , founded Auckland in 1840, the produce of Ihumātao sustained the growing population. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3kKdP59

US Forest Service is closing California's national forests as wildfires spread

The National Forest Service said it will close all national forests in California to protect people from fire danger, except one.           from USATODAY - News Top Stories https://ift.tt/3gQtWNf

Italy tightens entry requirements on US tourists, adds self-isolation mandate for the unvaccinated

Italy is adding requirements for American travelers on the heels of the European Union removing the USA from its safe travel list.           from USATODAY - News Top Stories https://ift.tt/3gNMf5Y

Hurricane Ida drives home hellish battle with climate change

Americans this summer have suffered through a frightening preview of the horror show that climate change is set to inflict on the planet.           from USATODAY - News Top Stories https://ift.tt/3gNNz8N

Virginia Governor pardons 'Martinsville Seven' Black men executed for rape 70 years ago

Gov. Ralph Northam granted posthumous pardons for a group of Black men executed 70 years ago for allegedly raping a white woman in Martinsville, Va.           from USATODAY - News Top Stories https://ift.tt/3mSAcrE

DaBaby meets with HIV organizations after homophobic comment controversy

DaBaby joined a virtual, private meeting last week to discuss HIV education in wake of his scandal over homophobic comments earlier this summer.           from USATODAY - News Top Stories https://ift.tt/2Y4iaby

Vaccine passports will make hesitant people ‘even more reluctant to get jabbed’

Data comes as No 10 vows to press on with plan to make vaccination a condition of entry for nightclubs Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Imposing vaccine passports is likely to make hesitant people even more reluctant to get Covid jabs, research involving more than 16,000 people has found as Downing Street vowed to press ahead with the plan within a month. Boris Johnson announced in July that the government would make it compulsory for nightclubs and other crowded indoor venues to ensure customers have been fully vaccinated before allowing them entry. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3kFlGAR

Lady Scotland faces challenge for top Commonwealth role

Surprise nomination of Kenyan defence minister for secretary general comes despite no date being set for summit Lady Scotland, the secretary general of the Commonwealth, and a long-time target of the Conservative government, faces a challenge for her post from the Kenyan defence minister with the support of the Kenyan president, Uhuru Kenyatta. Kenya’s defence minister, Monica Juma, was nominated on Tuesday for the post in a surprise move, which came despite the fact no date is yet set for the next Commonwealth summit – the likely backdrop for any attempt to try to force out Scotland. Some supporters of Scotland suspect Kenya has been encouraged by Britain – with which it has close ties – to mount the challenge. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2V1qBmP

Campaigners urge ministers to introduce vouchers for reusable nappies

Nappy Alliance says scheme would encourage people to switch away from polluting single-use nappies Campaigners have called for a national voucher scheme to encourage parents to embrace reusable nappies after Downing Street denied reports of a new tax on disposable ones. The government insisted there were no plans for a tax on single-use nappies despite suggestions they were the next item on a “ministerial hitlist” after last week’s crackdown on single-use plastic plates and cutlery in England. Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3gOTdY5

Judge orders hospital to treat Ohio Covid patient with ivermectin

• Anti-parasitic drug used on horses can be dangerous • Jeffrey Smith, 51, to receive 30mg for three weeks A judge in Ohio ordered a hospital to treat a Covid-19 patient with ivermectin, despite warnings from experts that the anti-parasitic drug has not proved effective against the virus and can be dangerous in large doses. Related: Rand Paul: ‘Hatred for Trump’ blocks Covid study of horse drug ivermectin Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3DBItX8

Major shareholder’s Rolls-Royce grumble could rumble on

Vague demand for board refresh from Causeway likely a hangover from £2bn rights issue The last time Rolls-Royce had an US activist fund on its tail, the aero-engine manufacturer took the unusual step of inviting one of its representatives onto the board. ValueAct Capital was judged to have constructive ideas and useful industry expertise. The four-year relationship, which ran until 2019, turned out harmoniously. Causeway Capital Management, the latest US fund with a 9% stake, looks a different beast, at least to judge by its comments to the FT at the weekend. The striking feature was the wooly nature of its main grumble: a demand for a board “refresh” in the interests of “fresh thinking”. What does that mean? Continue reading... from The Guardian https://ift.tt/38r20Lt

Former President Donald Trump says he will return to Iowa, adding grist to 2024 speculation

Trump's announcement on the show comes as other potential Republican presidential contenders are already making trips to Iowa.           from USATODAY - News Top Stories https://ift.tt/2YeIksn

Fact check: Several hurricanes, including Ida, have hit Louisiana on Aug. 29

A meme suggests Aug. 29 is the Gulf Coast's equivalent of Friday the 13th. The meme is missing important context.           from USATODAY - News Top Stories https://ift.tt/3kyYyUE

My brother was murdered. Now my elected leaders reject my plea for commonsense gun laws.

In the two years since my brother's death, I've fought for gun safety laws that could have saved his life and would save thousands of lives.           from USATODAY - News Top Stories https://ift.tt/3kArFqC