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Main article: GSA agency opens coffers to new president
Hello Warren Murray here, and thank you for joining me again this Tuesday.
Overnight, Donald Trump has not granted the election, as he reluctantly approved the release of government resources for the Biden administration’s transition to power. Emily Murphy, who heads the General Services Administration (GSA), said she made the determination independently based on “the law” and “facts.” The move allows Joe Biden and his team to access classified reports and meet with government officials. It also gives Biden officials access to office space and funds to pay for the transition team. Immediately after the announcement came a tweet from Trump saying “our case continues STRONGLY”, but “I recommend that Emily and her team do whatever it takes regarding initial protocols, and I have told my team to do the same. “. Yet again, Murphy said that she made that decision herself.
Biden has begun appointing his cabinet, which includes Janet Yellen, the first woman to chair the United States Federal Reserve, as the first Secretary of the Treasury in American history. John Kerry, Obama-era secretary of state and former aspiring president, returns as “climate czar” while Jake Sullivan becomes national security adviser; Alejandro Mayorkas, who, if confirmed, would become the first Latino and migrant to be Secretary of National Security; Avril Haines for director of national intelligence, who would be the first woman in that position; and Linda Thomas-Greenfield for Ambassador to the United Nations.
But wait, you say, what about the blinking secretary of state? As has been widely advertised, his name is Antony Blinken, a Paris-educated internationalist and foreign policy expert who has been by Joe Biden’s side for more than two decades. He served under Barack Obama as undersecretary of state and on Bill Clinton’s national security council. As the administration takes shape and much of the world surrenders to the boldness of hope, Barack Obama has raised the challenges facing Biden in restoring global faith in American leadership.
Most recent coronavirus – Oxford vaccine researchers have recounted how subjects who received a first half dose, then a second full dose, developed immunity in 90% of cases, compared with 70% of subjects who received two doses complete. The vaccine could be available in the coming weeks in the UK if it is approved by regulators. Boris Johnson has put in place a revised three-tier system of Covid restrictions for England to run until spring, as he implored the public to make “one last push” before the expected arrival of vaccines and mass testing. Place areas in England on one of three tiers after the four-week national lockdown in England ends on December 2. As Johnson is expected to detail plans to allow households to gather for Christmas, Labor is among those asking how the government will avoid congested roads and crowded trains that risk further spreading the virus. You can find more coronavirus developments on our global live blog.
Conservative MPs meddle with justice, says senior judge – The Chief Justice of England and Wales has admonished six Conservative MPs for trying to influence a judge overseeing a hearing related to Charlie Elphicke, the MP jailed for sexual assault. Conservative MPs wrote to the higher judges, copying the judge who will oversee the hearing, which is about whether character witnesses written by some of them in support of Elphicke can be made public. Ben Yallop, private secretary to the Chief Justice, wrote that the deputies had tried to influence a judge “without regard to the separation of powers or the independence of the judiciary.” The Guardian, Times and Associated Newspapers are seeking disclosure of the letters when the author is a public figure, in public office, or holds or has held a position of public responsibility.
Opaque ‘clearing house’ paper – The government has been accused of operating an “Orwellian” unit known as the “clearing house” to obstruct the release of sensitive information under Freedom of Information (FOI). The little-known unit seeks to control the release of potentially embarrassing information, according to the openDemocracy group. The unit requires Whitehall departments to send it requests that are deemed potentially sensitive or too expensive to respond to, and reviews the proposed responses. David Davis, the former Conservative minister, said the clearinghouse goes against the spirit of the Freedom of Information Act “and probably the letter as well.” The government says the clearinghouse exists to ensure a standard approach to FOI requests, adding: “We must balance the public need to make information available with our duty to protect confidential information and ensure national security.” .
Volcanic energy – New Zealand geologists hope to reduce climate-damaging emissions by drilling deep into an 11-million-year-old extinct volcano below the city of Dunedin to harness its heat. They hope that the heat from 500 meters deep can be used to heat homes. In Britain, the government plans to double the amount of renewable energy it will subsidize in 2021 after agreeing to include onshore wind and solar projects for the first time since 2015. Energy companies will bid on subsidy contracts in an auction that could support up to 12GW. of renewable energy, enough for up to 20 million electric vehicles a year.
Podcast Today in Focus: Racism Stops Windrush’s Reinstatement
The Guardian’s Amelia Gentleman wrote her first story about the Windrush scandal nearly three years ago; however, he still listens to people facing injustice. Alexandra Ankrah, the highest ranking black Home Office employee on the team responsible for Windrush’s compensation plan, explains why she resigned this year, describing the plan as systematically racist and unfit for purpose, while Samantha Cooper describes her frustrations when trying to access financial aid. .
Racism slows down Windrush’s reinstatement
Lunchtime Reading: Wolf at the Door
“There is a monument near Brora, 60 miles from John o’Groats, that claims to mark the place where the last wolf was killed in Sutherland. I spend it often in the car. The wolf, he says, was killed by the hunter Polson in or around the year 1700 … Did it really happen? Probably not, ”writes Cal Flyn. “Still, whether Polson is the culprit or not, there are no wild wolves left in Scotland. By 1700, they too had long been extirpated from England and Wales.
In Europe, those who survived retreated to rare enclaves. On today’s continent, agriculture and land use patterns have changed on a large scale, as marginal lands, too steep or too depleted, fall into disuse. Some estimate that in the three decades leading up to 2030, an area the size of Italy will have been abandoned within the EU alone. As prey animals have reentered, so have carnivores, including wolves. There are an estimated 12,000 wolves in Europe now, far more than in the contiguous United States, and they have been traced to populous countries like Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands. With centuries-old fears resurfaced once again, can the wolf and humanity share the landscape?
Sport
Crowds of up to 4,000 will be allowed to return to sporting events in England starting next week, and grassroots sport will also resume as part of a reduction in coronavirus restrictions announced by the prime minister. Theo Walcott scored his first goal since returning to Southampton, but Pedro Neto scored a point for the Wolves in a 1-1 draw at Molineux, while Chris Wood’s early goal was enough for Burnley to beat Crystal Palace 1-0 on Turf Moor and out of the bottom three. England mainstay Kyle Sinckler admitted that a blocking move midway to Bristol left him performing at only 20% capacity, but he credited Eddie Jones’ faith in him with helping him get back to his best. level.
The father of 2008 Olympic road racing champion Nicole Cooke raised concerns about alleged drug use in cycling with UK Anti-Doping and British Cycling which he felt was reportedly not taken action to a medical court. Joe Burrow, the number one overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, is scheduled for a long stint on the sidelines, according to reports. Pope Francis praised a delegation of NBA players who met him at the Vatican on Monday as “champions” and said he supported their work to address social injustice. And the best hitter in the world, Steve Smith, has revealed that a breakthrough in training makes him feel like himself on the eve of Australia’s ODI, T20 and Test series with India.
Deal
The Nikkei index rose to its highest level since May 1991, and most other markets in Asia and the Pacific also rose, although the Hang Seng and Shanghai were flat or slightly down. Qantas has caused a stir with its CEO, Alan Joyce, heralding that international travelers will not be able to board their planes without a coronavirus vaccine once it is widely available. The pound is worth £ 1,333 and € 1,125, while the FTSE is heading for a 0.37% gain at the open.
The papers
So, a quick look at the printed editions. the guardian Leads with ‘UK Vaccine’ Brings Global Step to End Covid ‘”. the Telegraph takes up the prime minister’s phrase that “it is the season to be very careful” and the Meter Y Quick they are more or less word for word in line with that, which will certainly please PRs at n. 10. The Mail combines two themes with “Long live the vaccine … but first, the levels.”
the Times “Covid curbs should be finished by Easter, says chief medical officer,” which is when most vulnerable people are expected to have been vaccinated. the Mirror has “Harsh Winter … Brighter Spring,” noting that the staggered restrictions are expected to hit more people between now and April.
the FOOT has “The Oxford vaccine and AstraZeneca adds to the arsenal for the battle of Covid”. the Sun has a story about I’m a celebrity.
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