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Theatre

The president’s daughter defended Operation Warp Speed, saying that Pfizer’s vaccine was a participant in the administration’s program.

clapford
10/11/2020

After a doctor claimed that Pfizer did not participate in Operation Warp Speed, the Trump's administration's vaccine program, Ivanka Trump fired back over Twitter to argue otherwise. "Wrong," Ivanka wrote. "Pfizer didn't take Fed $ for research but entered into an agreement w/ Trump Admin this JULY on logistics & to receive $1.95 Billion for +100 M doses of their vaccines, when approved, for the [American] people." She shared a link to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) press release from July 22, when the government agency announced an agreement with Pfizer "for large-scale production and nationwide delivery of 100 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in the United States following the vaccine's successful manufacture and approval." In response to the tweet by Lind...

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Arts

No 10 said MPs will reinstate the controversial clauses of the Internal Market Bill when it returns to the Commons.

clapford
10/11/2020

The Internal Market Bill seeks to override key elements of the Withdrawal Agreement signed with Brussels (Picture: Getty) The Governments controversial Brexit Bill has been dealt a crushing blow, after peers rejected a bid to give ministers power to break international law. In the first of a series of votes on stripping law-breaking powers from the Internal Market Bill, the Government has been heavily defeated in the House of Lords by 433 to 165, with a majority 268. A No 10 spokesperson said they were disappointed that peers had voted to remove the clauses from the Bill and vowed to reinstate them in the Commons. It is the second time controversial elements of the Bill have been rejected. The Bill, which has received significant cross-party backlash, seeks to override key elements of ...

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Fashion

Donald Trump’s defeat in the U.S. election was met with much celebration in liberal democracies, but there are many leaders who will miss the chaotic president’s support

clapford
10/11/2020

President-elect Joe Biden leaves a briefing from the transition COVID-19 advisory board on Nov. 09, 2020 in Wilmington, Del. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Bessma Momani is a professor of political science at the University of Waterloo and senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. In major cities across a divided United States, Americans celebrated this weekend as Joe Biden became their president-elect. A number of liberal democracies joined in congratulating Mr. Biden, hoping for a return to something close to normal after four years of Donald Trumps chaotic, unpredictable and damaging retreat from the global order. But not all world leaders are so excited for a change in U.S. administration. For some, Mr. Biden signifies a return to normative Barack Obama-era pre...

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Theatre

Brewers reliever Devin Williams, who confounded the league with his untouchable changeup this year, was named NL Rookie of the Year,

clapford
10/11/2020

Reliever Devin Williams of the Brewers has been named NL Rookie of the Year. Other finalists for the award were Phillies 3B Alec Bohm and Padres 2B Jake Cronenworth. They finished tied for second. Williams allowed just one run in 27 innings in the shortened season and struck out 53% of the batters he faced, the highest percentage in MLB history by a pitcher with at least 20 innings pitched. His changeup was arguably the most dominant pitch in all of baseball in 2020. Opponents batted 2-for-62 (.032) against it, the lowest opponent average on a single pitch this season (min. 50 plate appearances against).

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Home

clapford
10/11/2020

An Arkansas police chief has resigned after admitting to authoring several social media posts in which he advocated for violence against "Marxist Democrats." Lang Holland, who had been the chief of police in Marshall, Arkansas, resigned on Saturday after he was confronted by the city's mayor about a series of derogatory posts made under his name on a conservative social media site. "The Marshall community does not in any way support or condone bullying or threats of violence to anyone of any political persuasion. We are a welcoming community that is humbly working to build a bright future for ALL our citizens," Marshall Mayor Kevin Elliott said in a statement released on the city's Facebook page. "Mr. Holland is no longer employed with the city." Marshall, a town with of population of a...

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Europe

To mark their freedom, people flocked to bars and restaurants in Cardiff yesterday evening, braving the rain to mix and meet with friends after two weeks apart.

clapford
10/11/2020

Welsh revellers hit the town last night after the Principality's two-week 'firebreak' coronavirus lockdown came to an end.  The restrictions were finally lifted after the government imposed the strict shutdown last month against a backdrop of rocketing Covid-19 cases.  Now, Covid-19 case rates have fallen in almost every part of Wales, with the biggest drops seen in Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot and Torfaen - though it is unclear if the 'firebreak' is responsible. To mark their freedom, people flocked to bars and restaurants in Cardiff yesterday evening, braving the rain to mix and meet with friends after two weeks apart.  It comes as England went into its own two-week lockdown to battle a surge in coronavirus cases all over the country.  As part of their freedom, four people grou...

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Festivals

Immigrants say watching Alex Trebek on “Jeopardy!” helped them learn English.

clapford
10/11/2020

Fans of "Jeopardy!" all over the world mourned the death of longtime host Alex Trebek on Sunday, but one group shared a particularly special connection. Immigrant families in the U.S. say watching Trebek, who was 80 and had hosted the quiz show for 37 years, each night helped them learn English. Asmae Toumi arrived in the U.S. from Morocco when she was 9, not knowing a word of English, and she said watching American TV shows was a big part of learning the language. She credited "Clifford the Big Red Dog" for some of her progress, but she also spoke about the impact of game shows like "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy!" Asmae Toumi.Courtesy Asmae Toumi "I remember just sitting there understanding absolutely nothing," she said. "But I think the exposure to new words, just how things were ...

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Politic

How many Canadians could get a Pfizer vaccine? Why are scientists excited about the new study? Here’s what you need to know about what the prime minis…

clapford
10/11/2020

After eight long pandemic months, the prime minister called it a “light at the end of the tunnel,” while the head of a pharmaceutical giant hailed “a great day for science.” Early results from Pfizer Inc.’s potential COVID-19 vaccine, hinting at as much as 90 per cent immunity, are being heralded around the world as one of the first major confirmations of global hopes that a vaccine will be possible, maybe in a matter of months. There are significant caveats. The results, splashed online in a news release early Monday, have yet to be reviewed by the larger scientific community, and no one knows yet how long immunity created by the potential vaccine might last. Still, hope has been ignited. “It kind of switched me over from theoretical optimism to just optimism,” said Dr. Lynora Saxin...

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