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President Trump escalated his attacks on a Muslim member of Congress and “Radical Left Democrats” on Monday ahead of a reelection campaign that is quickly taking shape around divisive messages centered on immigration and patriotism. 

Speaking Monday at an event billed as a tax and economy roundtable, Trump told a suburban Minneapolis audience “how unfairly you’ve been treated as a state” when it comes to immigration, and he rattled off a litany of grudges against the current system: The loopholes are “horrible and foolish,” the visa lottery is “insane,” and the concept of asylum is “ridiculous.”

“People come in, they read a line from a lawyer that a lawyer hands them out online,” Trump said at the event as he mimicked an asylum seeker reading from a piece of paper. “It’s a big con job. That’s what it is.”

The afternoon remarks came hours after he took a direct shot at one of the state’s members of Congress, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D) — whom Trump called “out of control” — as Omar continued to come under criticism for comments that critics view as dismissive of the tragedy of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The dueling Trumps on Tax Day highlighted a parallel dynamic at play ahead of his reelection bid: While the broader GOP apparatus is attempting to focus on the economy, the campaigner in chief is seizing on more confrontational messages that may appeal to the base but potentially turn off swing voters.

“If they’re focused on expanding his popularity and the party’s popularity, they should be talking about the economy, and they should be talking about tax cuts,” said Tony Fratto, a former White House and Treasury Department spokesman during the George W. Bush administration. “Every time they choose to double down and talk about immigration, they lose an opportunity.” 

The Trump campaign, the White House and the Republican National Committee were all following the same playbook Monday, the first Tax Day to reflect the full impact of the GOP’s 2017 tax cuts, with a messaging effort reminding voters that the law had saved most Americans money. 

“American Workers Are Thriving Thanks To President Donald J. Trump’s Middle Class Tax Cuts,” the White House said in a news release Monday morning. That statement came about 30 minutes after another release titled “Secretary Mnuchin: ‘The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Is Working,’ ” which linked to a CNN opinion piece by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

Meanwhile, officials at the National Republican Senatorial Committee released a colorful video set to peppy music that touted the benefits of the GOP tax law, while the group’s chairman, Sen. Todd C. Young (R-Ind.), co-wrote an op-ed that celebrated “higher wages, record economic optimism, record low unemployment” thanks to Republican policies. 

Trump, on the other hand, fired off several morning tweets that veered far off topic.

He began his day with a 6:29 a.m. tweet advising Boeing to “REBRAND” its troubled 737 Max planes, then followed that with a stream of tweets that included attacks on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a demand for Congress to return to Washington to “FIX THE IMMIGRATION LAWS!” and a call to “INVESTIGATE THE INVESTIGATORS!” behind special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s report. 

In one tweet, Trump accused Omar of making “anti-Semitic, anti-Israel and ungrateful U.S. HATE statements.” In another, he complained: “The Radical Left Democrats will never be satisfied with anything we give them. They will always Resist and Obstruct!”

At one point, Trump posted a tweet saying he agreed with the singer Cher, who had said she didn’t support Los Angeles taking in thousands of Central American migrants while the city faced poverty and homelessness. 

Later in Burnsville, Minn., Trump spent the better part of an hour promoting the economic gains prompted by the tax cuts while listening to several small-business owners tell him how the 2017 law had improved their paychecks and their bottom lines. 

But then the president returned to one of his favorite topics. 

“Congress has to get smart” on immigration, he said. “And honestly, when I say Congress, I can’t blame the Republicans. The Republicans want to do it. But you need the votes of the Democrats.” 

The president added: “We can retake the House, I think, over this issue . . . As soon as we do, we’re going to get this straightened out.” 

A number of GOP veterans of House campaigns disagreed that Trump could carry House Republicans to victory next fall on a hard-line immigration message.

“As we saw in 2018, immigration will inflame both sides. Those folks will never be moved,” said Matt Gorman, who served as communications director for the House GOP campaign arm in the 2018 cycle. “However, in swing districts in Texas, Florida and California, that debate hurt us.” 

But Trump aides say the president has a knack for driving key messages in unorthodox ways.

Tim Murtaugh, the campaign’s communication director, said that “Trump’s political and communications instincts are always sharp, and the campaign follows his lead.” 

“As the president shows, it is entirely possible to carry more than one message at a time. Immigration issues will always be key, as will be the booming economy,” he said. “The Russia hoax is also a frequent topic for the campaign, as we remind Americans that they were lied to for two years.

Murtaugh added, “Like millions of Americans, the president found Rep. Omar’s comments on Jews and remarks belittling the 9/11 attacks to be offensive.”

Other Republicans rationalized Trump’s use of 9/11 imagery by saying that Omar’s remarks from a March speech — in which she emphasized the discrimination that Muslims in the United States faced after the 2001 attacks, when “some people did something” — were deeply offensive. On Friday, Trump had tweeted a video that included footage of the burning twin towers on Sept. 11, 2001, mixed with clips from Omar’s speech before the Council on American-Islamic Relations — which triggered an outcry from Democrats that he was politicizing the terrorist attacks.

“I think what she did was absolutely disgraceful,” Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.) said Monday. Though King said he himself tries to avoid using images of the attacks in political conversations, he added, “I think the president’s trying to make a point . . . in this case, I would allow it.” 

Many Republicans have been frustrated by Trump’s unwillingness to drive a consistent message promoting the GOP tax cuts, both while the legislation was being written and after it was enacted into law. The legislation is still largely unpopular with the public, and only 17 percent of voters believed they got a tax cut, according to an NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released last week. 

That runs counter to independent analyses, such as one from the conservative Tax Foundation, which found that more than 65 percent of taxpayers will have their tax liabilities reduced by at least $100. Just 5.5 percent of taxpayers will see a tax increase this year, according to the think tank, which used a report on the tax law produced by the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation. 

Trump’s inability to focus on a single message — last year during a tax event, he threw his prepared remarks in the air, calling them “boring” — is a key reason some of his accomplishments haven’t gained traction with the public, said Chris Whipple, author of “The Gatekeepers,” a history of White House chiefs of staff. 

“He can’t even focus on the few things that he’s accomplished,” Whipple said. “He goes for the jugular, he throws raw meat to the base. That’s his comfort zone. It’s not talking about accomplishments.”

Still, some Republican allies said Trump’s willingness to depart from political orthodoxy keeps his 2020 Democratic opponents off-kilter and forces them to spend time responding to him rather than defining themselves. Many Democratic presidential candidates spent much of the past weekend figuring out how to respond to an earlier Trump tweet attacking Omar. 

Sarah Dolan, executive director of the conservative super PAC America Rising, said Democratic presidential candidates will struggle to present a positive message as long as Trump is influencing the primary.

“The other benefit for us is that each of them is trying to roll out positive policy initiatives or introduce themselves to voters, and instead they are having to deal with negative stories about them or negative stories about other candidates in the field and react,” said Dolan, whose group compiles opposition research on Democrats. “All of those things are helpful for us because that becomes the only thing that voters associate with them.”

Source Article from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-focuses-on-divisive-messages-as-2020-reelection-bid-takes-shape/2019/04/15/423d9aa0-5f91-11e9-9ff2-abc984dc9eec_story.html

President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package took a key step forward Friday night after Democratic leaders reached an agreement with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-WVa., on unemployment insurance benefits.

A Democratic push to move forward with Biden’s “American Rescue Plan” halted for hours on Friday after Manchin balked the terms of unemployment insurance outlined in the House’s version of the bill.

Manchin’s support is critical for Senate Democrats, who hold a razor-thin majority in the upper chamber and have garnered little support from GOP lawmakers on the package. Even with passage possible through a simple majority vote under special budget reconciliation rules, the Democrats will likely need to stay united in order to get the package through the Senate.

“The President has made it clear we will have enough vaccines for every American by the end of May and I am confident the economic recovery will follow,” Manchin said in a statement. “We have reached a compromise that enables the economy to rebound quickly while also protecting those receiving unemployment benefits from being hit with unexpected tax bill next year.”

Under the agreement with Manchin, Senate Democrats will submit a framework for $300 in weekly unemployment benefits through Sept. 6. In the House version, the weekly unemployment benefit was $400 through Aug. 29.

The agreement also includes a provision denoting that the first $10,200 of unemployment insurance is untaxable for first-time recipients in households earning less than $150,000. The clause was not included in the House bill.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said President Biden backs the compromise.

“The President supports the compromise agreement, and is grateful to all the Senators who worked so hard to reach this outcome,” she said in a statement. “It extends supplemental unemployment benefit into September, and helps the vast majority of unemployment insurance recipients avoid unanticipated tax bills. Most importantly, this agreement allows us to move forward on the urgently needed American Rescue Plan, with $1400 relief checks, funding we need to finish the vaccine rollout, open our schools, help those suffering from the pandemic, and more.”

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The Senate will proceed with its “vote-a-rama” on the bill, during which senators can propose amendments to the package as it currently stands. Earlier Friday, lawmakers shot down Sen. Bernie Sanders’ amendment that sought to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour as part of the package.

The Senate is expected to finalize the relief bill this weekend, though the exact timing of a final vote remains unclear.

Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report.

Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-dems-manchin-reach-deal-covid-19-unemployment-benefits-ending-lengthy-delay

El ministerio del Poder Popular para la Salud de Venezuela realizó este martes el primer simulacro de diagnóstico a personas que pudieran presentar síntomas del virus del ébola.

De acuerdo con el protocolo de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), la cartera ministerial llevó a cabo el ensayo de la operación preventiva en el Aeropuerto Internacional de Maiquetía (IAIM), específicamente en la terminal aérea “Simón Bolívar”, en el estado Vargas (centro-norte).

¿Cómo actuará el IAIM en caso de sospecha del virus?

En la rampa 4 del aeropuerto se habilitó una sala de aislamiento que será utilizada en caso de presentarse la sospecha de una persona con los síntomas del virus.

Luego de aislar a la persona en la sala, se trasladará a uno de los centros hospitalarios seleccionados para atender los casos en Vargas.

Equipamiento:

La ministra para la Salud, Nancy Pérez, informó que el próximo miércoles llegarán al país un mil 500 trajes de bioseguridad fundamentales para atender estos casos.

Igualmente, anunció que Venezuela adquirió un laboratorio de bioseguridad. Éste es un container que estará equipado para realizar los exámenes de sangre necesarios para confirmar o descartar la presencia del virus en la persona.

Pérez dijo que se instalará una sala situacional en la que se divulgará información actualizada del comportamiento del Ébola en el mundo.

Más temprano la periodista y corresponsal de teleSUR en Venezuela, Madelein García tuiteó  (@madeleintlSUR) en la red social los adelantos del simulacro en el país suramericano:

La periodista informó la juramentación de 60 médicos integrales y epidemiológicos para promover la campaña de lucha contra el ébola en ese país.

Source Article from http://www.telesurtv.net/news/Venezuela-realiza-primer-simulacro-contra-el-ebola-20141014-0051.html


Comienzos de febrero. Mar del Plata. Fiesta de la revista Gente. El hijo del intendente de La Feliz, Guillermo Arroyo (39), también concejal por Cambiemos, queda embelesado ante la belleza de la vedette Mónica Farro (40) y le pide a un amigo en común que se la presente. No se sueltan en toda la noche. Gracias a este breve affaire, Arroyo pensó en un probable nombramiento de la vedette como “asesora en violencia de género” rentada por la municipalidad local. El hijo del intendente pretendió incorporar a Mónica Farro dentro de su plantilla con un sueldo de 36.000 pesos mensuales, pero debido al escándalo que generó este romance y a algunas fotos juntos que estuvieron circulando tuvo que dar marcha atrás con la medida. “Lo del nombramiento en principio me pareció divertido. Si existe la posibilidad me encantaría hacerlo para poder ayudar a la gente, sería genial. Sufrí mucho durante 4 años, sé mucho del tema”, asegura Farro en diálogo con NOTICIAS. La vedette se encuentra haciendo temporada en Mar del Plata con el espectáculo “Cocodrilo, la revista”.

Noticias: El cargo sería rentado, eso no estaría muy bien visto.

Mónica Farro: ¿Qué quiere decir “cargo rentado”?

Noticias: Que le pagarían por mes para hacerlo.

Farro: ¿Y por qué no? ¿Vos no trabajás por plata? Yo también.

Arroyito. La ciudad balnearia no vive momentos políticos felices. El intendente Carlos Arroyo (71), de Cambiemos, está sufriendo embates políticos aunque cuenta con un fuerte respaldo de la gobernadora María Eugenia Vidal. Se le cuestionan los altos índices de desempleo e inseguridad y una temporada de verano que fue mucho menos exitosa de lo esperado. Arroyo hijo (“Arroyito” o “Willi” para sus amigos) tuvo que soportar, por este vínculo con la escultural rubia, duras críticas tanto de los ciudadanos como de la oposición política y debió bajar su perfil por varios días. Incluso, una concejal de su propio partido le exigió que saliera a desmentir los rumores, pero él se negó. “Guillermo me pareció muy atrevido pero también divertido y atractivo. No soy amante de las relaciones a distancia, aunque ya muchos dicen que me voy a venir a vivir a Mardel”, admite Farro en tono pícaro. “Desde su entorno le dijeron que soy mucha mujer para él. Y es verdad, soy mucha mujer para cualquier hombre”, desafía.

En el pasado, Farro fue víctima de violencia de género cuando mantenía una relación de pareja con Jorge “El Negrito” Luengo, productor de Ideas del Sur e hijo del fotógrafo institucional de la productora. “Fue terrible, ya pasaron 5 años. Hoy con las redes sociales es diferente. Si me hubiese sacado una foto cada vez que tenía la boca rota, la cara destruida, los pelos arrancados y con 8 kilos de menos, sería otra la historia”.

Noticias: ¿Cómo sería su trabajo de “consejera” o “asesora”?

Farro: No sé si puedo ser una consejera o una salvadora, pero está bueno ayudar. Creo que las víctimas lo que tienen que hacer es hablar. Es difícil porque te convertís en un autista. La persona violenta te separa del mundo. Pero está en uno querer salir. Sí puedo decir que después de un grito o de un empujón, va a venir el golpe. Eso hay que tenerlo en claro.

Noticias: ¿Cómo se sale de una relación violenta y enfermiza?

Farro: Mi historia en violencia de género me agarró de grande, después de un matrimonio espectacular. Creí estar enamorada de un psicópata y al final terminás tan enfermo como la otra persona. Salir de una relación de violencia es muy complicado. No es fácil. Los que hablan de afuera, que dicen ‘te quedás porque te gusta que te peguen’ y todas esas huevadas, no lo vivieron. Hay que querer salir. En este tipo de vínculos, si no hay golpes y gritos durante unos días, parece raro. Es lo contrario de las relaciones normales. Igual me separé por un tema de infidelidad, no me separé por la violencia, fue un error muy grande el mío.

Noticias: ¿Qué opina del movimiento #NiUnaMenos? ¿Fue a las marchas?

Farro: No. Creo que hacer una marcha no soluciona nada. Estamos viendo cantidad de femicidios y cada vez son peores. La violencia contra la mujer es impresionante. Ya no les pegan, directamente las matan. Me parece perfecto que se hagan marchas, pero yo no me prendo porque también necesito olvidarme un poco de todo lo que pasé. Cada vez que hablo del tema vuelvo a recordar todo lo que viví, que no fue nada lindo.

Noticias: ¿Qué opina de la cosificación de la mujer siendo usted vedette?

Farro: No creo que cosificar a una mujer sea hacer un desfile en ropa interior o salir casi desnuda en el teatro, como hago yo. Se fueron de mambo. Un lindo piropo no es cosificar a la mujer y, a veces, hasta te sube la autoestima. Ser vedette no es para toda la vida, yo puedo hacer otras cosas.




Source Article from http://noticias.perfil.com/2017/02/19/monica-farro-de-vedette-a-funcionaria/

The delta variant now makes up about 83% of new COVID-19 cases in the country, and the uptick is seen everywhere.

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Sacramento County is up roughly five new cases from exactly one week ago at 14.2 new cases per 100,000 people, and vaccination numbers are still low. Specifically, in the North Highlands area with 95660 zip code, where 41% of residents have received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and only 35% are fully vaccinated.

The reasons for vaccine hesitancy vary. On the ground, we heard fear, misinformation and a lack of access to information among some unvaccinated residents like Aurora, who had a vaccination appointment last week and backed out once she heard someone got sick from COVID-19 after receiving their shot.

But the CDC says that this isn’t possible, since the vaccines don’t actually contain the live virus.

“It only includes instructions to make one part of the virus and that’s the spike protein and once you make that spike protein, then your body forms an immune response to that,” said Dr. Dean Blumberg, a professor and chief of pediatric infectious diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital.

“I also wanted to see how it was going to play out with everybody because people are having different reactions,” said another North Highlands resident who chose not to be identified.

Can I get long-term side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine?

“The FDA required a long-term [two-month] follow-up following vaccinations, to make sure that these vaccines were safe and found no long-term side effects,” Blumberg added.

The CDC and the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists haven’t found evidence that suggests that vaccines have any impact on fertility.

And if you’re still hoping to be protected from a previous COVID-19 infection, you might want to think that one over.

“The immune response following vaccination is stronger than the immune response following natural infection, so the vaccines protect better against reinfection compared to getting naturally infected,” Blumberg said.

KCRA 3 reached out to the offices of Sacramento County Supervisors Phil Serna and Rich Desmond, to find out how they’re engaging and educating residents so that residents can access accurate information and resources; as of the publishing of this article, neither have responded.

Should I get the COVID-19 vaccine if I’m healthy?

“At this point in the pandemic you have two choices: you can either get vaccinated or you can get COVID,” Blumberg said.

“More than 97% of cases in the U.S. that are being hospitalized are in unvaccinated individuals, more than 97% of deaths that occur with COVID-19 are unvaccinated individuals. So, if you want to decrease your chance of ending up in the hospital, if you want to decrease your chance of dying, then the clear choice is to get vaccinated,” he added.

Can receiving a COVID-19 vaccine cause you to be magnetic?

COVID-19 vaccines do not contain ingredients that can produce an electromagnetic field at the site of your injection. All COVID-19 vaccines are free from metals.

“There is no microchip in the vaccine. There is no metal in the vaccine. You can’t get magnetized by getting vaccinated. That’s just false. Those are all lies,” adds Blumberg.

Source Article from https://www.kcra.com/article/covid-19-cases-up-vaccinations-stay-stagnant-sacramento-county-areas/37084284

While New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo once called the coronavirus a “great equalizer”, data shows the virus has been anything but indiscriminate.

As the US climbed to more than 10,000 coronavirus deaths on Monday state health officials grappled with its disproportionate impact on black Americans. The disparity is especially stark in cities like New Orleans, Chicago and Detroit, where high concentrations of African Americans live.

Louisiana has the fourth largest number of Covid-19 cases in the country, and the majority of the Covid-19 deaths are in New Orleans, where black Americans constitute 60% of the population. “Slightly more than 70% of [coronavirus] deaths in Louisiana are African Americans,” the state’s governor, John Bel Edwards, said in a press conference on Monday. “That deserves more attention and we’re going to have to dig into that to see what we can do to slow that down.”

Midwestern cities including Detroit, Chicago and Milwaukee are also reporting an increasing imbalance.

Detroit, which is almost 80% black, has the most concentrated coronavirus cases in the state of Michigan. The death rate in the city accounts for 40% of overall deaths in the state.



A driver wearing a protective mask operates a Chicago Transit Authority bus in Chicago, Illinois. Photograph: Bloomberg via Getty Images

In Chicago, which is 30% black, black Americans account for 70% of all coronavirus cases in the city and more than half of the state’s deaths. “We know all too well that there are general disparities in health outcomes that play along racial lines and the same may be true for this virus,” said Ngozi Esike, director of the Illinois department of public health.

African Americans face a higher risk of exposure to the virus, mostly on account of concentrating in urban areas and working in essential industries. Only 20% of black workers reported being eligible to work from home, compared with about 30% of their white counterparts, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

The virus has killed a high number of older black men because of this, though there have also been outbreaks among women and young African Americans in the south.

Meanwhile, experts also point to initial research showing a high prevalence of Covid-19 among those suffering from obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes – risk factors more common among black Americans. The virus is known to take a harsher toll on those with underlying health issues, and many hospitals are only testing those admitted for critical care.



Pedestrians wearing protective masks walk near the Eastern Market in Detroit, Michigan. Photograph: Bloomberg via Getty Images

Critics note that those risks are significantly exacerbated by racial inequities in healthcare, including facility closures and caps on public health insurance plans like Medicaid and Medicare. African Americans are twice as likely to lack health insurance compared with their white counterparts, and more likely to live in medically underserved areas, where primary care is sparse or expensive.

Unconscious racial bias can also contribute to unequal health outcomes, especially when health professionals are inexperienced with the culture of the community they serve, according to the Journal of General Internal Medicine. The Century Foundation found that healthcare providers located within majority African American or Latinx neighborhoods tend to provide lower-quality care.

Governor JB Pritkzer of Illinois acknowledged racism’s role in the state’s response to the outbreak, but he called it “a much broader problem” that won’t be solved in a matter of weeks. “It’s hard to make up for decades, maybe centuries, of inequality of application of healthcare to people of color,” he said.

And while the virus doesn’t discriminate, Dr Uché Blackstock, practitioner and CEO of Advancing Health Equity, a healthcare advocacy group, said government responses can.

She noted that as the virus first spread, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initially released testing guidelines that prioritized those who had traveled abroad. That meant Blackstock’s mostly black patients in low-income areas of Brooklyn and Queens were not tested as quickly as her more affluent, white clients in Manhattan who had the means to travel.

“What we know now is that Covid-19 had been circulating in our communities for much longer than we realized,” she said.

In Wisconsin, more than half of the state’s 86 confirmed deaths are in the city of Milwaukee. Limited testing and slow public outreach resulted in the number of cases in the city jumping from just one to more than 350 in less than two weeks. Health officials said the virus was probably introduced to the city after its first infected resident came in contact with someone from an affluent, white suburb nearby.



A man wearing a face mask walks past the Franklin Square fire station in Washington DC. Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

The state representative David Bowen, who is black, was the first Wisconsin lawmaker to be diagnosed with the virus. He told the Guardian that it was later confirmed he had passed the virus on to three others. Only one person was able to get tested.

“When white communities get sick, we in the black community are threatened to die from the same sickness, with lack of healthcare often leaving us to self-diagnose,” he said.

According to CDC guidelines, every state is legally required to track data on testing and treatment by race, as it has done during other outbreaks. Fewer than a dozen have released that data so far.

Last week congressional Democrats, including Senator Elizabeth Warren and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, both of Massachusetts, sent a letter demanding the CDC provide racial data. Without demographic data, health officials and lawmakers would not be able to address inequities in health outcomes and testing that might emerge, the letter said.

The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights also called out the CDC for not including those racial breakdowns. “This is a crisis like none other and officials in our state and federal governments play a large role here in bringing transparency,” said Kristen Clarke, committee president and executive director.

The committee sent letters urging state health departments, as well as Washington DC, to release their numbers. On Monday, Washington’s Mayor Muriel Bowser published coronavirus numbers by race for the first time: of the District’s 24 deaths, 14 were of black patients. After losing its majority-black status in 2011, Washington DC is now 45.5% African American.

Bowser dismissed questions on racial disparities, claiming “all deaths are a concern”. But for many black communities the threat of being infected by Covid-19 is proportional to their fear. According to Pew, 46% of black Americans viewed the coronavirus as a threat to their health, more than double their white counterparts.

“We know that black Americans are particularly vulnerable. This is a social, economic and racial justice issue,” Clarke said. “How one community is treated impacts all communities across the country.”

Source Article from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/08/its-a-racial-justice-issue-black-americans-are-dying-in-greater-numbers-from-covid-19

Derechos de autor de la imagen
AFP

Image caption

Vladimir Putin tiene mucho capital político, estratégico y personal invertido en sus vínculos con el gobierno de Siria.

No quieren aislar todavía más a Rusia en la escena internacional.

Esa es la razón que dieron este martes los ministros de Exteriores del G7 -que reúne a las naciones es más industrializadas del planeta- para no imponer más sanciones contra Moscú por su alianza con el gobierno de Bashar al Asad en Siria.

Sin embargo, el secretario de Estado de Estados Unidos, Rex Tillerson, está en Moscú para presionar al presidente Vladimir Putin a que deje de apoyar a Al Asad, a quien Occidente acusa de haber llevado a cabo un ataque con armas químicas contra civiles la semana pasada.

Las gestiones de Tillerson -quien en el pasado ha tenido buenas relaciones con el Kremlin- pueden resultar irrelevantes, no sólo porque ya no viene con el riesgo de sanciones dañinas sino por el profundo compromiso del mandatario ruso con Siria.

Putin no está necesariamente apegado a Al Asad pero ciertamente no quiere ver el colapso del gobierno de un país en el que tiene intereses estratégicos, políticosy personales, y en el que ha hecho una gran inversión militar y económica.

Estrategia

“La intervención en Siria, combinada con el triunfo electoral de Donald Trump en EE.UU. (que muchos atribuyen a una manipulación de Moscú), es el mayor éxito de Putin en los últimos años”, comentó Famil Isamilov, editor de noticias del Servicio Ruso de la BBC.

Después de las sanciones impuestas por el gobierno del expresidente Barack Obama y la Unión Europea, tras la anexión de Crimea y el conflicto en Ucrania, Occidente le había dado la espalda a Moscú. Rusia iba camino a convertirse en un estado paria.

Derechos de autor de la imagen
Reuters

Image caption

El secretario de Estado de EE.UU., Rex Tillerson, llegó a Moscú con el propósito de presionar a Putin para que se aleje del régimen sirio.

“Con su intervención en Siria, Putin le dio la vuelta a esa situación. Abrió un espacio internacional de prestigio para él y para Rusia”, señaló Ismailov. “Se mostró como un líder en el combate contra el terrorismo y también como el único capaz de resistir la imposición de EE.UU. en el mundo”.

El analista de política internacional y experto en el Medio Oriente, Mariano Aguirre, coincide en que lo último que quiere Moscú es que caiga el gobierno sirio y el poder pueda ser tomado por uno o varios grupos yihadistas.

“Moscú teme que Siria se transforme en una ‘zona franca’ para este tipo de milicias y que desde ahí se coordinen y operen con islamistas radicales en Rusia”, comentó a BBC Mundo el analista internacional.

“Por principio (Putin) se resiste a aceptar que haya ‘cambios de régimen’ político a través de la fuerza -como ocurrió en Libia en 2011- y menos todavía que ese cambio pueda ser impulsado desde Occidente“, agregó Aguirre.

Política

En términos de los intereses políticos, Putin balancea dos elementos: el internacional y el interno.

En cuanto a la política exterior, con su alianza con el gobierno en Siria, Rusia regresa a la refriega en el Medio Oriente, después de estar mucho tiempo marginado.

“El régimen sirio, no necesariamente Bashar al Asad, es un aliado en una región en la que quiere ganar peso”, señaló Aguirre, aunque dijo que ese peso relativo.

Derechos de autor de la imagen
Reuters

Image caption

Putin es un aliado del gobierno de Siria, más no necesariamente de Al Asad.

“Los verdaderos poderes en la región son locales: Irán, Israel, Arabia Saudí, Turquía. Ni Estados Unidos ni Rusia ni Europa tienen hoy el peso que tuvieron en los dos siglos anteriores”, explicó. “Hoy la influencia se logra haciendo alianzas con los poderes locales”.

Aunque eso es complicado debido a la volatilidad y complejidad de intereses, Famil Ismailov aseguró que Moscú se está perfilando como un importante actor en la región.

“Muchos países de Medio Oriente han recurrido a Rusia para asesoría, apoyo y armas“, expresó el editor del Servicio Ruso de la BBC.

“En primer lugar, Irán es prácticamente el más fuerte aliado de Moscú. Pero representantes de los gobiernos en Libia, Egipto y Líbano han viajado recientemente a Moscú” indicó.

El rey de Jordania, viajó en enero para formular estrategias para combatir el terrorismo en la región y discutir asuntos de cooperación económica.

Derechos de autor de la imagen
Reuters

Image caption

Rey Abdalá de Jordania ha sido uno de muchos lideres en Medio Oriente que han visitado a Putin en Moscú.

Inclusive Arabia Saudita, visto como el país de la región más cercano a Occidente, entró en conversaciones con Rusia por primera vez en varios años para buscar estabilizar el mercado de crudo.

Pero, más allá de esta nueva estatura en los escenarios internacionales, lo que sucede internamente, su imagen dentro de Rusia, es muy importante para el presidente.

Desde la perspectiva rusa, “es el que se la jugó en su lucha contra Estado Islámico cuando Occidente no encontraba soluciones y es visto como el único que está haciendo algo contra el terrorismo”, declaró Famil Ismailov.

A pesar de los sectores de oposición que catalogan a su gobierno de represivo, Putin ha restaurado el orgullo al pueblo ruso, aseguró Famil Ismailov. “Especialmente, es visto como el único que puede obstaculizar la constante arremetida de la visión estadounidense en el mundo”.

Militar

La intervención en Siria no le trae ningún beneficio militar, señalo a BBC Mundo Mariano Aguirre, sin embargo, Rusia “estratégicamente le disputa a Estados Unidos ser una potencia global“.

Uno de los problemas que ha tenido Rusia para proyectarse como potencia militar ha sido la antigüedad de sus equipos y la falta de preparación de su ejército.

Derechos de autor de la imagen
EPA

Image caption

El Almirante Kuznetsov se encuentra con otras embarcaciones rusas frente a las costas sirias.

Para Famil Ismailov el escenario sirio le ha servido a Rusia desarrollar y poner a prueba nuevo armamento, y ha sido un campo inmejorable para el entrenamiento de su personal militar, sobre todo las unidades especiales.

“Su flota naval lanzó desde el Mar Caspio nuevos misiles de largo alcance que sobrevolaron territorio iraní e iraquí que hicieron impacto con considerable exactitud sobre objetivos en Siria. Esos bombardeos fueron considerados un gran éxito, desde el punto de vista militar y de prestigio”.

Por otra parte, Rusia envió al Mediterráneo a una flota naval que escoltó al portaviones Kuznetsov hasta las costas de Siria.

A pesar de que el Kuznetsov es una embarcación antigua, le está sirviendo para lanzar vuelos de reconocimiento y ataque. Más importante aún, su personal está recibiendo un entrenamiento en un conflicto actual, que no se podría igualar en una academia.

Económico

La aventura en Siria “es un gasto muy grande”, en opinión de Mariano Aguirre, “y un coste político crecientemente fuerte dado que el 20% de la sociedad rusa se opone a la implicación en la guerra en Siria”.

La carga financiera es particularmente onerosa porque la economía de Rusia sigue dependiendo fundamentalmente del petróleo.

Derechos de autor de la imagen
Reuters

Image caption

La economía rusa ha sufrido.

Frente a este panorama, quizás sea afortunado que el G7 haya decidido no imponer nuevas sanciones a Moscú. Según explicó ese grupo de naciones, fue con la intención de no aislar a Rusia.

Pero también puede ser en reconocimiento de lo afianzado que está Putin en Siria tras la gran inversión a largo plazo que ha hecho, demostrada en la construcción de bases y mejorías y acondicionamiento de otras.

La base aérea de Khmeimim, en la costa mediterránea, fue construida en 2015. Aunque comparte algunas instalaciones con la Fuerza Aérea de Siria, el acceso a la misma es exclusivo de personal ruso.

Moscú acaba de firmar un acuerdo de arriendo con Siria por 49 años, prorrogables 25 años más, el primer pacto de ese tipo a largo plazo en el país.

Derechos de autor de la imagen
AFP

Image caption

La base aérea de Khmeimim es un proyecto a largo plazo en los planes militares de Rusia en Siria.

Además, la base naval de Tartus, antes una instalación pequeña para el mantenimiento de la flota rusa, ha sido expandida para funciones completas de reabastecimiento y mantenimiento, sin necesidad de que los barcos de guerra tengan que regresar a su base en el mar Negro, atravesando los estrechos de Turquía.

Por primera vez, Rusia ha incorporado a empresas privadas para operativos, capacitación y seguridad, explicó Ismailov. Estas están compuestas de personal militar retirado que ha regresado a operar bajo contratos jugosos.

Además, “las armas rusas están fuertes en el mercado y sus ventas están por el cielo”, afirmó.

Personal

El aspecto personal es uno de los factores cruciales en la incursión de Vladimir Putin en el conflicto sirio.

Cómo preservar su legado, su prestigio y su orgullo son una gran motivación para el mandatario cuyo ego y narcisismo han sido objeto de análisis constante en la prensa.

La cuestión es que Estados Unidos acaba de elegir un presidente con un ego y narcisismo comparable.

Derechos de autor de la imagen
EPA

Image caption

¿Será cuestión de quién es más “macho”? Las figuras de cera en una exposición en Bulgaria representan dos de las personalidades políticas más fuertes del mundo.

En un enfrentamiento de ambos mandatarios ninguno va a dar su brazo a torcer fácilmente. Según Ismailov, “es cuestión de quién es más ‘macho’“.

Por lo menos, dentro de Rusia, está claro quién es: “Para muchos rusos Putin es el hombre del momento”, concluyó el editor del Servicio Ruso de la BBC.

Siendo eso así, Mariano Aguirre no cree que la política de Putin en Siria cambie pronto.

Inicialmente no creo que se eche atrás. Su credibilidad ante la sociedad rusa quedaría en cuestión“, concluyó el analista.

Source Article from http://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-internacional-39564746

With one week to go until ballots must be postmarked, deposited in drop boxes, or handed in in-person in California’s gubernatorial recall election,  Gov. Gavin Newsom is making his closing pitch to save his job steering the nation’s most populous state.

And the embattled Democratic governor is giving a helping hand.

President Biden‘s expected to head to California next week, just ahead of the Sept. 14 recall election.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Tuesday that the president would travel to California “early next week.”

“He will be, I expect we’ll have more to report to all of you, or announce, on a trip he’ll take early next week,” Psaki told reporters aboard Air Force as Biden traveled to New York and New Jersey to survey storm damage.

The visit by Biden, who won California’s whopping 55 electoral votes by nearly 30 points over then-President Trump last November, will follow that of  Vice President Kamala Harris.

The former California attorney general and Golden State senator, who ran for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, will team up with the governor at a rally in the Bay Area on Wednesday. 

NEWSOM SPOTLIGHTS TRUMP AS HE FIGHTS TO SURVIVE CALIFORNIA RECALL

Harris will be the latest high profile national Democratic surrogate to team up with Newsom, after the governor was joined on Saturday in Culver City, California, by Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a progressive leader who also unsuccessfully ran for the White House in 2020, and on Sunday in Santa Ana by Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, another Democratic presidential contender last cycle. 

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, campaigns with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., against the California recall election at Culver City High School in Culver City, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021.  (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
(AP)

Former two-term San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, one of the better known GOP replacement candidates on the ballot, charged in a statement to Fox News that Newsom is “hiding behind national political leaders.”

It’s not just on the campaign trail where the governor’s getting a lift from top surrogates.

BERNIE SANDERS SLAMS CALIFORNIA RECALL IN AD BACKING GAVIN NEWSOM 

“At this unprecedented moment in American history, when we’re trying to address the crisis of climate change, guarantee health care for all, and pass real immigration reform, the last thing we need is to have some right-wing Republican governor in California,” longtime Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont says in a TV commercial supporting Newsom that’s currently running statewide in California.

“The Sept. 14 recall of Gov. Newsom is a bold-faced Republican power grab,” the progressive rock star and runner-up to Biden in last year’s Democratic presidential nomination race charges in the ad. “Don’t let it happen. Please, return your ballot or vote no in person by Sept. 14.”

Thanks to unusual campaign finance laws for recall elections – California treats the question of whether to remove the governor as a ballot issue, rather than a candidate race – Newsom can raise unlimited amounts of money as he fights to keep his job. 

NEWSOM SPOTLIGHTS ‘CONSEQUENTIAL DECISION’ OVER COVID IN RECALL ELECTION

And that’s what he’s been doing – hauling in and spending big bucks and lapping the leading GOP replacement candidates when it comes to fundraising. Newsom’s massive advantage is allowing him to dominate the airwaves.

The governor’s “Stop the Republican Recall” campaign has spent nearly $33 million dollars to run TV, digital and radio ads – with the bulk of it being dished out since mid-July – according to AdImpact, a leading national ad buying firm. 

That’s leagues ahead of 2018 Republican gubernatorial nominee John Cox, who’s spent $7 million to run ads for his recall election campaign. And conservative talk radio host Larry Elder, the polling front runner among the 46 replacement candidates on the recall ballot, has spent $4.8 million to run ads since launching his campaign in mid-July, according to figures from AdImpact.

HERE’S WHO’S AIMING TO SUCCEED NEWSOM IN CALIFORNIA’S RECALL ELECTION

Voters are being asked two questions on the Newsom recall ballots. The first question is whether the governor should be removed from office. If more than 50% support removing Newsom, the second question offers a list of candidates running to replace the governor. If the governor is recalled, the candidate who wins the most votes on the second question – regardless of whether it’s a majority or just a small plurality – would succeed Newsom in steering California. 

Newsom’s strategy is simple: In the very blue state of California – where he won election by 24 points over Cox in 2018 – he needs to get Democratic voters to cast their ballots, to make up for energized Republican voters hoping to oust the governor from office.

Newsom’s strategy may be working.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Most public opinion polls conducted in July and August indicated that likely voters were divided on whether to recall Newsom. 

But the latest surveys, including one conducted Aug. 20-29 by the Public Policy Institute of California , suggest a majority of likely recall election voters support keeping the governor in office. 

Fox News’ Samuel Dorman contributed to this report

Source Article from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/newsom-spends-big-bucks-teams-up-with-big-names-in-california-recall-election-closing-push

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is closing entry points at the Mexican border so the state won’t be overrun as reports show thousands of illegal immigrants amassing under a bridge ​waiting to be arrested by Border Patrol agents. 

The number of migrants waiting under the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas, doubled overnight to more than 8,200 people, Fox News reported, showing drone footage of the massive gathering.

​​”The sheer negligence of the Biden Administration to do their job and secure the border is appalling. I have directed the Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard to surge personnel and vehicles to shut down six points of entry along the southern border to stop these caravans from overrunning the state​,” Abbott, a Republican, said in a statement on Thursday.

​”The border crisis is so dire that the US Customs and Border Protection is requesting our help as their agents are overwhelmed by the chaos. Unlike President Biden, the State of Texas remains committed to securing our border and protecting Americans,” the statement said.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says his orders will stop “caravans from overrunning the state​.”
REUTERS

The report said a law enforcement official said the crowd is mainly made up of Haitians and more are joining the army of migrants every minute.

The new development comes as Fox News reported on Wednesday that for two straight months – July and August – encounters with illegal immigrants surpassed 200,000. ​

Drone footage shows more than 8,000 migrants gathering at the International Bridge in Del Rio, Texas.
FOX NEWS

The 208,887 encounters in August are a drop from July’s more than 212,000 encounters, but it still amounts to a 317 percent increase over August 2020, when there were 50,014 apprehensions and a 233 percent jump from August 2019, which recorded 62,707 apprehensions.

A​bbott​, frustrated with the Biden administration’s inability to solve the crisis at the border, has implemented a number of measures in Texas to curb illegal immigration.

Border Patrol Agent Carols Rivera patrols along the US-Mexico border in Ysleta, Texas on September 2, 2021.
Joel Angel Juarez
The Paso del Norte international bridge that connects Ciudad Juárez, Mexico to El Paso, Texas.
AP

He has authorized the National Guard to arrest people who illegally cross into the US and has begun raising funds to complete construction of the border wall that Biden stopped.​

The White House said they are focused on the “root causes” of immigration, including​ poverty, corruption, violence and natural disasters, but Republicans have blasted Biden for ending many of former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies since taking office in January.

Source Article from https://nypost.com/2021/09/16/texas-gov-abbott-closing-entry-as-8k-migrants-gather-at-border/

Justin: “Vamos nena, no pasa nada. Te quiero”.

Selena: “No aguanto más. He sido honesta contigo y he intentado darte una segunda oportunidad. Pero todos mis amigos tenían razón, eres un tonto del c***”.

Justin: “Tú eres todo lo que necesito. Sé que puedo cambiar si estoy contigo”.

Selena: “Eres es un drogadicto. Necesitas ayuda”.

Tras este intercambio de tirantes declaraciones, Justin habría decidió enviarle una foto de su pene erecto, lo que hizo que Selena decidiera poner fin a su relación.

Justin: “Vamos, dime que no echas de menos esto [refiriéndose a la foto]“.

Selena: “¡Para ya! Tienes que escuchar lo que te dice Scooter (Braun, su mánager) y entrar en un centro de rehabilitación. Estás enfermo”.

Justin: “¿Rehabilitación? ¡A la mie*** con eso!”.

Selena: “Ya está, Justin, hemos terminado”.

Pero la discusión no terminó ahí, sino que Selena también quiso sacar a la luz la reciente detención del rapero Lil Za por posesión de cocaína en casa de Justin, un hecho del que le culpó sin miramientos.

Selena: “¿Y cómo pudiste dejar que detuvieran a Lil Za por tu culpa? Necesitas crecer de una p*** vez. Espero que entres a la cárcel a tiempo. Te lo mereces. Además, te deberías retirar de la música también”.

Justin: ¡¡QUE TE VAYAS A LA MIE***!! ¿Que necesito crecer? OK, OK! Que te diviertas sin mí, pu**!!! Que te jod** a ti y a Scooter y a todo el mundo. Tú solo eres famosa gracias a mí y lo sabes. Todo el mundo lo sabe. Vete a j**** a cualquier otro. Mantén esa vag*** lejos de mí!”.

Source Article from http://www.ultimasnoticias.com.ve/noticias/chevere/espectaculos/difunden-mensajes-de-texto-entre-selena-gomez-y-ju.aspx

Graves tensiones diplomáticas entre Venezuela y Argentina

El dirigente chavista Diosdado Cabello llamó “cobarde” al presidente argentino, Mauricio Macri, y declaró “enemigo” de su país al diplomático a cargo de la embajada argentina en Caracas.

El presidente de Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro aseguró haber enviado una nota de protesta al gobierno argentino, luego de la presunta agresión que sufrió la canciller Delcy Rodríguez- en las afueras de la cancillería de Argentina- en Buenos Aires.

Según el mandatario, la ministra fue severamente agredida por funcionarios policiales de la nación sudamericana junto al canciller de Bolivia, David Choquehuanca cuando intentaron ingresar a la sede del Ministerio para asistir a la reunión del Mercado Común del Sur (Mercosur).

La Ministra de Relaciones Exteriores de Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez  llega a la Cancillería argentina en Buenos Aires durante una reunión entre ministros del Mercosur, donde Venezuela no fue invitada, el 14 de diciembre de 2016. (Foto: EITAN ABRAMOVICH/AFP/Getty Images)

Siria suspende evacuación de miles de personas de la ciudad de Alepo

El gobierno sirio suspendió este viernes la evacuación de miles de civiles y combatientes de Alepo oriental, tras acusar a los insurgentes de romper los términos del acuerdo, reportó la televisión estatal.

El último acuerdo de alto al fuego para evacuar a decenas de miles de combatientes y civiles de los barrios que estaban en poder de los rebeldes en Alepo oriental ha sido suspendido, confirmó un funcionario sirio.

Fuentes del gobierno dijeron que los rebeldes habían bloqueado la evacuación de civiles en otras dos ciudades de Siria, acordadas en virtud de la tregua.

No estaba claro cuánto tiempo duraría la suspensión o si la evacuación sería retrasada en el marco de un proceso que probablemente tome varios días.

La TV estatal informó que el gobierno sirio denunció que los rebeldes habían abierto fuego contra un convoy de evacuados, en un punto de cruce con el enclave.

(Foto: BARAA AL-HALABI/AFP/Getty Images)

Obama dijo que tomarán medidas por hackeos durante las elecciones

Barack Obama, el presidente estadounidense dijo que Estados Unidos tomará medidas contra Rusia o cualquier otro  gobierno extranjero que intente entrometerse en las elecciones estadounidenses.

“Creo que no hay duda de que cuando cualquier gobierno extranjero intenta impactar la integridad de nuestras elecciones… Necesitamos tomar medidas y lo haremos” dijo el presidente a la Radio Pública Nacional en una entrevista para ser transmitida el viernes por la mañana.

“Algunos de ellos pueden ser explícitos y publicitados, algunos de ellos no pueden ser” dijo.

La CIA concluyó en que piratas informáticos rusos irrumpieron en las computadoras del Partido Demócrata para filtrar emails sobre la campaña presidencial de Hillary Clinton con el aparente objetivo de ayudar al republicano Donald Trump a ganar las elecciones del mes pasado.

Entretanto, el presidente electo Donald Trump cuestionó a la Casa Blanca por no haber actuado antes y lo quiere hacer solo ahora que la candidata demócrata Hillary Clinton perdió las elecciones.

Presidenta surcoreana desafía juicio político en su contra

La destitución de la presidenta de Corea del Sur, Park Geun-hye, por el parlamento carece de base legal y debe ser rechazada por el Tribunal Constitucional indicaron hoy los abogados que representan a la mandataria, envuelta en un escándalo de corrupción.

Los representantes legales de la presidenta en suspensión entregaron una declaración de 24 páginas sobre el caso al Tribunal Constitucional, que determinará si destituir o reincorporar a la jefa de Estado después de una revisión que podría durar hasta seis meses.

“Como no hay pruebas de ofensas legales (citadas en la moción del juicio político) creemos que no hay fundamento para el enjuiciamiento” señaló uno de los abogados ante los reporteros después de entregar el documento tal como solicitó la semana pasada el tribunal. El abogado añadió que su postura es que no hay motivo para la destitución y que lucharán por todos los hechos y temas legales, reportó la agencia surcoreana de noticias Yonhap.

Presidenta de Corea del Sur, Park Geun-hye (Foto: Jeon Heon-Kyun-Pool/Getty Images)

Encuentran antigua y desconocida ciudad griega al norte de Atenas

Un equipo internacional de arqueólogos e historiadores está explorando los restos dispersos de una desconocida acrópolis en el centro de Grecia, en la colina Strongilovoúni, ubicada entre las grandes llanuras de Tesalia informó el 12 de diciembre de 2016, la Universidad de Gotemburgo.

“Hemos encontrado una plaza de la ciudad y una red de calles que indicaba que estamos tratando con una ciudad bastante grande. El área dentro de las medidas de la pared de la ciudad es de más de 40 hectáreas”, dijo Robin Rönnlund, quien lidera el trabajo en terreno, mientras está realizando su doctorado en Arqueología Clásica e Historia Antigua de la Universidad de Gotemburgo.

El hallazgo cerca del pueblo Vlochos, luego de la primera temporada de trabajo de campo, que se completó en septiembre pasado fue fechado en diversos períodos de la historia griega.

Artículo completo aquí

Paredes de la fortaleza, torres y puertas de la ciudad griega en Vlochos, son claramente visibles desde el aire. (Universidad de Gotemburgo y U. de Bournemouth)

La Gran Época le recomienda el siguiente artículo: “No puedo describir el dolor que sufrí”: la historia de Yu Zhenjie

Source Article from http://www.lagranepoca.com/ultimas-noticias/104974-noticias-ultima-hora-16-diciembre.html

Throughout the week, searches have been carried out in Clapham, where Ms Everard was last seen, as well as at a home in Deal and the woodland in Ashford.

Source Article from https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-56371163

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Prime Minister Theresa May managed to convince EU leaders to grant the U.K. more time before it leaves the bloc, but experts say her days in office are now numbered.

“A six-month period is clearly enough for the Conservative Party to contemplate a change in leadership while still allowing some time for the incoming PM to seek to negotiate with the EU,” J.P. Morgan economist Malcolm Barr said in a research note Thursday.

“One could even cram a general election into that time frame too if PM May were to resign by roughly the end of May.”

More tumult in British politics is expected despite a reprieve from Brussels on Wednesday night, with EU leaders agreeing to a “flexible extension” of the Brexit deadline until October 31, following a request from May.

The U.K. was initially meant to leave the bloc on March 29 but was granted an extension to April 12 with the British Parliament failing to agree on any exit deal. Then, when it was apparent that there was still no majority consensus for the deal on offer, May was forced to ask for more time.

Influential pro-Brexit members of her Conservative Party are unhappy at May’s decision and would have preferred a no-deal departure. Others balked at May’s withdrawal agreement with the EU which was seen as a “softer” Brexit that maintained a closer relationship with the bloc.

Time’s up for May?

Despite the Brexit extension Wednesday evening, May will still work to get her deal passed (which would allow the U.K. to leave earlier) and would like to do so before a May 22 cut-off point — after which the U.K. must take part in EU Parliamentary elections.

May had promised to step down if her deal was approved. She has already survived a vote of no confidence from within her own party last December (and technically another vote cannot be held within 12 months) but she could be forced to go if there is a dramatic revolt against her.

“I think this is the end of May,” James Crabtree, associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, told CNBC.

“In theory, they can’t have another leadership campaign until December but if half of her cabinet resigns en masse, or if half of her parliamentary party say they want her to go — which they do — then her position becomes untenable.”

“She’s a very resilient prime minister and she’s hung on when we all expected her to collapse but I think her time is finally up.”

Crabtree said it was now a question of “when, not if” she goes. He also did not think a deal would pass by October, noting “there’s not a majority for anything.”

May’s plea for more time comes after months of infighting in the ruling Conservative Party, and the wider U.K. Parliament, over the direction and form Brexit should take with “Brexiteers” and “Remainers” largely holding to their positions.

May has been holding talks with opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in recent days in the hope that a compromise or alternative plan can be found, but this has so far proved elusive.

WATCH:
Niall Ferguson: Brexit has turned into a student asking for a paper extension

Brexit ‘horror story’

The new Brexit departure date of Halloween — which is likely to be the last deadline on offer to the U.K. — has not been lost on Brexit watchers.

“Brexit is now, officially, a horror story,” Barr noted, adding that the new departure date has removed any pressure on the Labour party to come to an agreement with May to ensure that a “no-deal” departure is avoided.

“The fact the ‘no deal’ deadline is now more than six months away serves to remove any real sense of urgency in the near term,” Barr added.

A sense of calm also pervaded markets Thursday morning, sterling was a touch lower against the dollar (at $1.3088) and the euro. London’s FTSE 100 index was trading lower. Daniel Lacalle, chief economist at Tressis Gestion, told CNBC Thursday that a delay means “very little” for investors in the U.K.

“The market right now is rightly discounting an agreement that may take a little bit longer or a little bit less but will ultimately happen,” he told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe.”

“If you look at the performance of the pound and gilts (U.K. sovereign bonds) in particular, you are seeing that investors are quite comfortable with the current situation and that the U.K. stock market is not affected by the challenges of Brexit.”

The British economy has so far proved more resilient than expected during the last two years of Brexit negotiations and uncertainty over a future relationship. U.K. gross domestic product grew by 0.3% in the three months to February 2019, data Wednesday showed. But economists question what effect the delayed departure could have on business investment.

“U.K. GDP growth will probably move sideways for a bit longer yet, perhaps averaging 1.5 percent this year,” Paul Dales, chief U.K. economist at Capital Economics said Thursday. “Of course, many developments could alter our forecasts, such as the state of the global economy, a change in prime minister, a general election, a change in government, a second referendum and what actually happens with Brexit,” he said in a note.

Source Article from https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/11/brexit-delayed-but-theresa-mays-leadership-is-out-of-time.html

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The latest wave of COVID-19 cases has led to a surge in hospitalizations, compounding what has already been a taxing year for health care workers.

Caitlin Thompson, a registered nurse in the intensive care unit at UF Health Jacksonville’s North campus, spoke with News4Jax on Wednesday about what it has been like working in the ward.

“I feel like we are in a war, and that war is not ending anytime soon yet because people aren’t getting vaccinated yet,” she said.

As of Wednesday, UF Health Jacksonville had roughly 134 COVID-19 patients, 41 of whom were in the ICU. That’s up from 60 COVID-19 patients, 23 of whom were in the ICU, on July 12.

“I don’t think there are enough words to describe what the past two weeks or actually the last year and a half has been like,” she said. “We are tired. We are exhausted as a staff, as a health care facility. Our patients are younger. They are sicker. It’s been wild to say the least.”

UF Health Jacksonville nurse sheds light on latest COVID-19 wave

Her colleague — nurse practitioner Annette Wall, who provides special services for those in the ICU — agreed.

“The average ages seem to be younger. These patients seem to be in our intensive care unit a bit longer,” Wall said. “These people are in the prime of their life. These are hearty, healthy people. I have folks that are saying, ‘I just didn’t think I would get that sick because I’m healthy.’ You are until you catch COVID.”

James Owen echoed that belief. As of Wednesday, the 41-year-old Navy veteran had been in the ICU at the North campus for nearly a week and was still fighting to get better. From his hospital bed, he told News4Jax how he ended up there.

“We had a Fourth of July party. On the 5th, I got sick,” he said. “At first I thought I could take care of it myself at the house. I was sadly mistaken and it landed me here.”

He said his wife is also ill but not hospitalized.

“I am doing much better now,” Owen said. “It’s been a rough road, but we are getting there.”

Owen said he’s grateful to the staff who he believes have gone out of their way to help him.

“Thanks again to the team of nurses and medical staff,” Owen said.

He said he wasn’t vaccinated against COVID-19, and he shared a message for others who haven’t gotten the shot.

“For yourself, for your loved ones, get vaccinated. I’m used to being the strong protector and it definitely broke me down. I am very humbled. This virus is nothing to joke about,” he said. “After what I’ve been through, I’m definitely going to get it as soon as I’m cleared.”

Thompson, who has been working with Owen, also encouraged people to get vaccinated.

“My message: Do your education and learn and ultimately get vaccinated,” she said. “Vaccination is key and trying to decrease this crazy pandemic and this surge that we are seeing.”

Thompson said that right now, COVID-19 patients who make it out of the ICU still experience lingering impacts.

“If they do make it out, it’s with long-term effects of the disease or some people having to go home on oxygen,” Thompson said. “People having to go on to long-term care facilities just to get their strength back, and those that do go home in the future could see other long-term effects.”

Registered nurse Carson Griego, who works on a special COVID-19 ward, said some of his young friends have not been vaccinated and he tells them the story of one patient who, unfortunately, died.

“He said, ‘I wish I got vaccinated. I wish I had took this all seriously,’” Griego said.

Staff members said those who are not vaccinated are the ones now becoming very ill and they hope that showing what’s happening at the hospital will bring about some change and lead to more people getting vaccinated.

“I certainly think there is a disconnect with people here on the outside and what we see on the inside,” said Chad Neilsen, UF Health Jacksonville director of accreditation and infection prevention. “So we’re trying to step up and use our microphone and say we are the ones seeing this going on real-time, please get vaccinated.”

Source Article from https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2021/07/21/uf-health-jacksonville-nurse-on-working-in-icu-amid-covid-surge-i-feel-like-we-are-in-a-war/

“Estuve en el barrio El Progreso, un barrio muy humilde de Lomas de Zamora. Tal vez hayan visto la semana pasada en un informe de Telenoche a Miguel, profesor de Tae Kwon Do en el comedor de El Progreso. Enseña gratis a unos 30 chicos y los lleva a competir por toda la provincia. Él también compite y nos representa como país en el exterior”, contó.

Source Article from http://www.infobae.com/politica/2016/06/28/mauricio-macri-a-dias-del-segundo-semestre-hoy-las-buenas-noticias-comienzan-a-llegar/