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Published by Reuters By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The leaders of two congressional committees want a federal probe into whether airlines used government pandemic money to fund pilot buyouts and early retirements that may have fueled current pilot shortages, according to a letter released on Friday. Congress approved $54 billion in three rounds covering much of U.S. airline payroll costs for 18 months that ended in September 2021. Airlines accepting government assistance that funded payroll costs were prohibited from furloughs or firing workers and faced limits on executive compensation and bans on stock buybacks and dividends. Major airlines, after losing thousands of employees during the pandemic, now have more pilots than before COVID-19 and are flying fewer flights but face higher absentee rates driven by COVID cases. Regional airlines are still struggling to hire enough pilots, while airlines cut back on flights this summer to improve performance. “As a result of pilot shortages, thousands of flights have been delayed or canceled, wreaking havoc on travel plans for millions of American taxpayers,” House of Representatives’ Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney and Coronavirus Crisis Committee Chairman James Clyburn wrote in a Sept. 8 letter to the Treasury Department’s inspector general. The committee wants the inspector general to “complete a thorough review of the federal funding Treasury has disbursed to airlines to sustain their operations during the coronavirus pandemic, including an accounting for how the funds were disbursed and used by each airline recipient.” A group representing major airlines did not immediately comment. Out of $54 billion, airlines must repay $14 billion, or 26.2%. American Airlines received $12.6 billion, Delta Air Lines $11.9 billion, United Airlines $10.9 billion and Southwest Airlines $7.2 billion, according to a U.S. Senate panel. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg faces pressure from Congress to do more to hold airlines accountable for tens of thousands of flight cancellations and delays this summer. A group of 36 state attorneys general on Aug. 31 called on Congress to give them new authority to investigate passenger complaints. Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Alex Padilla have urged the Department of Transportation to fine airlines that delay or cancel flights because of staffing or operational issues. (Reporting by David Shepardson; writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Jonathan Oatis) View the full article

Published by Al-Araby The United Nations voiced alarm Friday at thedeath sentences issued by Iran against two female gay rights activists on charges of promoting homosexuality, in unusual verdicts that have alarmed campaigners. The two women, Zahra Sedighi Hamedani, 31, and Elham Chubdar, 24, were sentenced to death by the Islamic Revolution Court in the northwestern town of Urmia, the UN said. “We are deeply concerned at the death sentences issued against twoLGBT activists in Iran,” Liz Throssell, spokeswoman for the UN rights office, told AFP in an email. She lamented that the two had been sentenced “on the vague… Read More View the full article

Published by AlterNet By Alex Henderson Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York City hasn’t been shy about calling for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to either be impeached or resign, arguing that the activism of his wife — far-right MAGA Republican and conspiracy theorist Ginni Thomas — presents a major conflict of interest. After the 2020 presidential election, Ginni Thomas was heavily involved in MAGA efforts to get the election results overturned and promoted the Big Lie in a series of text exchanges with Mark Meadows (who served as White House chief of staff under President Donald Trump). Justice… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Andrew Chung and Nate Raymond (Reuters) – U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Friday permitted Yeshiva University to refuse to recognize an LGBT student club that the Jewish school in New York City has said violates its religious values, temporarily blocking a judge’s ruling ordering it to allow the group. Sotomayor put on hold the judge’s ruling that a city anti-discrimination law required Yeshiva University to recognize Y.U. Pride Alliance as a student club while the school pursues an appeal in a lower court. The liberal justice handles certain cases for the court from a group of states including New York. A stay Sotomayor issued of the judge’s injunction will remain in place pending a further order of the Supreme Court. Y.U. Pride Alliance formed unofficially as a group in 2018 but Yeshiva University determined that granting it official status would be “inconsistent with the school’s Torah values and the religious environment it seeks to maintain.” The dispute hinges in part on whether Yeshiva University is a “religious corporation” and therefore exempt from the New York City Human Rights Law, which bans discrimination by a place or provider of public accommodation. New York state judge Lynn Kotler in June determined that the school’s primary purpose is education, not religious worship, and it is subject to anti-discrimination law. Kotler also rejected the university’s argument that forcing it to recognize the club would violate its religious freedom protected under the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment. After higher state courts in August refused to stay the judge’s ruling, Yeshiva University turned to the U.S. Supreme Court, emphasizing its religious character, including that undergraduate students are required to engage in intense religious studies. “As a deeply religious Jewish university, Yeshiva cannot comply with that order because doing so would violate its sincere religious beliefs about how to form its undergraduate students in Torah values,” the school told the Supreme Court. The Modern Orthodox Jewish university, based in Manhattan, has roughly 6,000 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs. Among the school’s values, according to its website https://www.yu.edu/about/values, are believing in “the infinite worth of each and every human being” and “the responsibility to reach out to others in compassion.” Powered by its increasingly assertive conservative justices, the U.S. Supreme Court in recent years has expanded religious rights while narrowing the separation between church and state. During its term that ended in June, the court backed a public high school football coach in Washington state who refused to stop leading Christian prayers with players on the field after games and ruled in favor of Christian families in Maine who sought access to taxpayer money to pay for their children to attend religious schools. The court has a 6-3 conservative majority. In its upcoming term, which begins on Oct. 3, the court will decide a major new legal fight pitting religious liberty against LGBT rights involving an evangelical Christian web designer’s free speech claim that she cannot be forced under a Colorado anti-discrimination law to produce websites for same-sex marriages. (Reporting by Nate Raymond and Andrew Chung in New York; Editing by Will Dunham) View the full article

Published by Reuters By David Shepardson and Nandita Bose WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The White House on Thursday outlined six principles to reform Big Tech platforms and said it was encouraged to see bipartisan interest in Congress to rein in major U.S. tech companies. The six principles, entitled “Enhancing Competition and Tech Platform Accountability,” were released after Biden administration officials earlier in the day met with experts to discuss “the harms that tech platforms cause and the need for greater accountability.” The White House said the United States needs “clear rules of the road to ensure small and mid-size businesses and entrepreneurs can compete on a level playing field.” “These principles are the culmination of months of work by the administration and engagement with numerous stakeholders,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. “We’re looking forward to hearing any feedback from the tech companies.” A group of bipartisan lawmakers has introduced antitrust legislation aimed at reining in the four tech giants — Meta Platform’s Facebook, Apple, Alphabet’s Google and Amazon.com — that would bar the companies from favoring their own businesses in search results and other ways. The lawmakers have said they believe they have the 60 Senate votes needed to move forward, but no vote has yet been scheduled. Among issues discussed at Thursday’s meeting, which included numerous senior White House officials, District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine and technology experts, were antitrust, privacy, algorithmic discrimination and other tech policy areas, the White House said. The six principles include promoting technology sector competition; adopting robust federal privacy protections, and tougher privacy and online protections for children; rescinding special legal protections for large tech platforms; increasing transparency about platforms’ algorithms and content moderation decisions; and ending discriminatory algorithmic decision-making. “The rise of tech platforms has introduced new and difficult challenges,” the White House said, “from the tragic acts of violence linked to toxic online cultures, to deteriorating mental health and wellbeing, to basic rights of Americans and communities worldwide suffering from the rise of tech platforms big and small.” (Reporting by Diane Bartz, Nandita Bose and David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler) View the full article

Published by Radar Online mega Britney Spears has been offered millions to do interviews following the end of her conservatorship, however, the troubled singer never wants to do an interview ever again, RadarOnline.com has learned. “Britney has always hated doing interviews and has never been happy with the end results. Even when her book comes out, she won’t do a single interview to promote it,” sources tell RadarOnline.com. “After what she’s been through, Britney is still very fragile and doesn’t trust reporters or strangers.” mega Insiders reveal that the press rollout for her book will be very carefully planned out, and does not include a single big tell-all with Robin Roberts, Gayle King, or anyone else. “If you want to know what Britney is thinking buy her book,” said a publishing source. “They are not going to give the content away for free to some TV host. Let’s be honest, Savannah Guthrie needs Britney more than Britney needs her.” Sources close to Britney said her memoir has been completed but the release has been delayed due to the paper shortage. Her publisher Simon & Schuster was aiming for a January release but that has been postponed. As RadarOnline.com, last month, Britney hinted at her disdain for interviews in a 22-minute audio recording where she bared her soul. In the since-deleted clip, Britney told her fans that she had a lot on her mind but wasn’t interested in a sit-down with Oprah. She didn’t like the idea of being paid to express her emotions, Britney said. mega A source close to Oprah told RadarOnline.com, “they 100% did not offer Britney money for an interview. Oprah does not pay.” The insider added, “She didn’t pay Meghan and Harry and wouldn’t pay Britney.” Britney has continued to speak out on her own terms and without the need for a one-on-one interview. After the initial audio recording was deleted, she then posted a second clip days later. The pop star addressed remarks from her ex-husband Kevin Federline and their son Jayden. The singer said, “Like I said, God would not have let this happen to me. I don’t believe in god anymore because of the way my children and my family have treated me. There is nothing to believe in anymore. I’m an atheist y’all.” mega View the full article

Published by Reuters By Gabriella Borter (Reuters) -Michigan’s top court ruled on Thursday that voters should get to decide whether to amend their state constitution to protect abortion rights, handing a win to advocates who petitioned to put the measure on the November ballot. Reproductive Freedom for All, an abortion-rights advocacy group, amassed more than 730,000 signatures in support of putting a state constitutional amendment affirming the right to abortion on the general election ballot. The group appealed to the Democratic-leaning state Supreme Court last week after the state canvassing board deadlocked over whether to allow the issue to go before voters. The two Republicans on the canvassing board voted against putting the amendment on the ballot, while the two Democrats supported it. Anti-abortion groups objected to the ballot measure largely on technical grounds, saying the language of the petition contained multiple errors. Michigan abortion rights advocates began a campaign to put the issue on the 2022 ballot months before the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June that overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that granted nationwide constitutional protection for abortions. (Reporting by Gabriella BorterEditing by Chris Reese and Bill Berkrot) View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Sir Elton John is glad Queen Elizabeth is “at peace”. The ‘Candle in the Wind’ singer took the time to pay tribute to the late monarch at his concert in Toronto on Thursday (08.09.22) night, hours after it was announced she had passed away at the age of 96. Elton – who was knighted by the queen in 1998 – told the Canadian crowd the queen “deserved” to be at rest having led her subjects through “some of our greatest and darkest moments.” He said: “She was an inspiring presence to be around … she was fantastic. She led the country through some of our greatest and darkest moments with grace and decency and a genuine caring warmth. “I’m 75 and she’s been with me all my life and I feel very sad that she won’t be with me anymore, but I’m glad she’s at peace, and I’m glad she’s at rest and she deserves it. “She worked bloody hard. I send my love to her family. She’ll be missed.” Elton then sang his 1974 track ‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me’ while images of the queen in a bright purple coat and hat were displayed on screens. Before the gig, the ‘Made in England’ hitmaker – who famously sang a reworked version of his song ‘Candle In The Wind’ at Princess Diana’s funeral – had taken to Instagram to express his “deep sadness” at the passing of the queen, who was on the throne for 70 years. He wrote: “Along with the rest of the nation, I am deeply saddened to hear the news of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s passing. “She was an inspiring presence to be around and lead the country through some of our greatest and darkest moments with grace, decency and a genuine caring warmth. “Queen Elizabeth has been a huge part of my life from childhood to this day and I will miss her dearly.” View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Harry Styles led his fans in a round of applause for Queen Elizabeth on Thursday (08.09.22) night. The ‘Watermelon Sugar’ hitmaker took to the stage at New York’s Madison Square Garden hours before it was announced the 96-year-old monarch had passed away after 70 years on the throne, and the former One Direction singer made sure he took the time to honour her during the concert. He told the crowd: “From my homeland, there was some very sad news today: the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.” He then asked the 20,000-strong audience to “join me in a round of applause for 70 years of service”. After the crowd joined in, Harry said: “Thank you, Madison Square Garden.” Buckingham Palace announced at around 6.30pm on Thursday that the queen had died and her son is now King Charles. A message on the official royal family website said: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. “The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.” Earlier in the day, it had been revealed doctors had grown “concerned” for the Queen’s health and she was placed under “medical supervision”. Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision. “The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral.” Shortly after the queen’s death, Charles paid tribute to his “beloved mother”. He said: “The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family. “We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished Sovereign and a much-loved Mother. “I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth, and by countless people around the world. “During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held.” View the full article

Published by AFP Cast members of the first season of Netflix's The Crown, including Claire Foy, who portrayed a young Queen Elizabeth II, are seen in 2018. Netflix says it has suspended filming on the show's latest season out of resepect for the late monarch Toronto (Canada) (AFP) – Netflix suspended filming of its British royals drama “The Crown” on Friday following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the company said. The acclaimed show is currently filming its sixth season, having charted the late monarch’s life through multiple decades over the course of its previous seasons. “As a mark of respect, filming on ‘The Crown’ was suspended today,” a Netflix spokeswoman said in a statement to AFP. “Filming will also be suspended on the day of Her Majesty The Queen’s funeral.” The multiple Emmy-winning series began in its first season with Queen Elizabeth’s wedding to Prince Philip in 1947. A fifth season is due to be released in November, and is expected to chronicle 1990s events involving the monarchy including the death of Princess Diana, with Imelda Staunton stepping into the role of the Queen. Netflix has not released details about season six, but it is expected to portray more recent events including the aftermath of Diana’s passing in a fatal car accident, and its impact on the royal family. The announcement came as Hollywood stars and executives from Netflix and other major studios gathered in Toronto for the city’s international film festival. Theaters turned off their illuminated marquees in the Canadian city on Thursday to mark the death of the Commonwealth monarch, while flags were lowered and the famous CN Tower also dimmed its lights. Former “Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe was among the stars to address the Queen’s death at the festival, telling reporters that her absence felt “weirdly inconceivable and surreal right now.” “My parents and I, nobody of my age or their age has ever lived in a country without her,” he said on the red carpet for his new movie “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.” Later on Friday in Toronto, Stephen Frears and Steve Coogan will introduce the world premiere of their monarchy-themed “The Lost King,” about the discovery of King Richard III’s remains. View the full article

Published by BANG Showbiz English Luke Evans is determined to get the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ spin-off series “absolutely right”. The 43-year-old actor has confirmed that the much-anticipated series is still in the works – but Luke doesn’t want to rush the project. Luke – who played Gaston in the 2017 ‘Beauty and the Beast’ movie – told Variety: “We get one chance at this. We just need to get it absolutely right before those cameras start rolling.” The upcoming series is set to follow the stories of Gaston and LeFou, who is being played by Josh Gad. The Disney show was put on hold in February, amid delays with creative elements and scheduling conflicts for the cast. Despite this, Disney has always maintained that the series will come to fruition eventually. The show is expected to be a six-episode series and Briana Middleton has already been cast as LeFou’s stepsister, Tilly. Last year, Luke insisted he’s been “sworn to secrecy” about the spin-off series. However, the actor also revealed that Disney remain “very excited” about the show. Asked when production work will start, Luke said: “I’m sworn to secrecy. We are not allowed to talk about it, but it’s progressing very well. “There have been some very exciting decisions made recently. Josh and I speak on a regular basis. Disney is very excited about it. Everybody is excited about it.” What’s more, Luke confirmed that the upcoming series will feature “many new characters”. He said: “I think it’ll be a very entertaining journey through the past story of these characters, and also there will be many new characters that you’ve never met before, which is very exciting. It’s coloured with incredible characters and creatures that we are very excited about bringing to life.” View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Tom Boggioni With the November midterms looming and Republican hopes of taking control of both chambers of Congress slipping away, GOP campaign consultants are scrambling because their traditional appeals to voters are now falling flat and they’re not sure what to do about it. According to a report from Politico’s David Siders, Republicans have normally banked on culture war issues to drive the base to the polls but in 2022 “God, guns and gays” isn’t playing well with voters in large part because the electorate and attitudes on those three hot-button issues have evolved. As Siders wrote, “F… Read More View the full article

Published by Global Voices Image by Sharaf Nagiyeva. Shared under partnership agreement. This article was first published on Chaikhana Media. An edited version has been republished here under a content partnership agreement. In recent years, dozens of queer Azerbaijani citizens have fled their homeland due to persecution for who they are. There are no official statistics on LGBTQ+ people leaving Azerbaijan, however anecdotal evidence indicates they seek safety in countries near and far. Pari Banu (she/they), a queer activist and artist, is one of those who recently resettled in Tbilisi, in the neighboring country of Geo… Read More View the full article

Published by Chicago Tribune CHICAGO — Chicago moved one step closer to becoming a “Bodily Autonomy Sanctuary City” Thursday when a City Council committee advanced a proposal to ban local police from assisting out-of-state law enforcement with investigating people who travel here for abortions. The Health Committee voted unanimously Thursday to send the proposed ordinance to the full council floor, where it’s expected to receive a vote later this month. The move comes as progressive aldermen and Mayor Lori Lightfoot have ramped up efforts to safeguard reproductive rights in the past two months, after the Supreme Court ove… Read More View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Travis Gettys Donald Trump has been promoting QAnon conspiracy theories on his Truth Social platform, and researchers say that’s a sign that he’s stressed out. The former president faces multiple criminal and civil investigations, including a two-pronged probe of his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection and a Department of Justice inquiry over his apparent theft of classified materials, and he has stepped up his amplification of QAnon content online since the FBI searched his home at Mar-A-Lago, reported The Daily Beast. “There always seems to be a correlation between the amount of times Trump i… Read More View the full article

Published by New York Daily News They came in closer… to the top. Elton John and Britney Spears’ hotly anticipated collaboration, “Hold Me Closer,” debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, according to the music outlet Tuesday. The mashup of 75-year-old John’s “Tiny Dancer,” “The One,” and “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” debuted on Aug. 26 and hit the charts at No. 6. The duet marks the first new track for newly remarried Spears, 40, in nearly six years — a milestone following last year’s termination of the pop star’s more than decade-long conservatorship initiated by her father. News of the “Tiny Dancer” remix first s… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Dietrich Knauth (Reuters) – The Boy Scouts of America secured approval of a $2.46 billion reorganization plan from a bankruptcy judge on Thursday that will allow the youth organization to exit Chapter 11 and settle decades of claims by more than 80,000 men who say they were abused as children by troop leaders. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Laurie Selber Silverstein in Wilmington, Delaware signed off on the restructuring plan after the Boy Scouts made changes to address portions of a previous settlement proposal she had rejected. The biggest change in the amended plan was the removal of a $250 million settlement payment from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which Silverstein refused to approve. Silverstein said that part of that settlement proposal went too far in attempting to protect the Mormon church from abuse claims that were only loosely connected to scouting activities. The Irving, Texas-based organization, has said the reorganization will allow it to continue its scouting mission free from the threat of costly litigation. “Today’s order means abuse survivors will get the compensation they deserve and millions of youth will benefit from scouting for years to come,” said Richard Mason, an attorney representing local Boy Scouts councils that contributed to the settlement. The Coalition of Abused Scouts for Justice, which represents the majority of abuse claimants in the case, said the bankruptcy ruling would set up the largest sexual abuse settlement fund in history. Coalition attorney Anne Andrews said she was “overjoyed for survivors…. They wanted Boy Scouts to survive, and they wanted to ensure this never happened to another child.” The Boy Scouts said it was “enormously grateful” to abuse survivors who helped craft the settlement. The Boy Scouts filed for bankruptcy in February 2020 after being hit by a flood of sexual abuse lawsuits as several U.S. states passed laws allowing accusers to sue over allegations dating back decades. Those claimants became creditors of the organization, who had to sign off on any plans to restructure and exit bankruptcy. The Boy Scouts lined up support for the settlement plan from 86% of claimants who voted on it and from its two largest insurers. Some abuse victims and insurers continued to oppose the settlement, and a group of insurers has said they are likely to appeal. The appeals must be addressed in order for the Scouts to emerge from bankruptcy. The Boy Scouts organization said it will work to resolve the appeals in federal district court to complete the settlement. The amount of money individual abuse survivors stand to gain from the bankruptcy plan ranges from $3,500 to $2.7 million, depending on the severity of the alleged abuse, where and when it occurred, and other factors. The money for the settlement comes from the Boy Scouts, local councils, insurers and organizations that have chartered Scouting units and activities, including churches. Lawyers had warned the 112-year-old organization might not survive without a wide-ranging settlement of abuse litigation. Silverstein voiced concern earlier in the bankruptcy that the litigation had “the potential to end the Boy Scouts as it currently exists.” The organization has apologized and said the organization is committed to fulfilling their “social and moral responsibility to equitably compensate survivors.” (Reporting by Dietrich Knauth; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Bill Berkrot) View the full article

Published by Al-Araby The Iranian government is looking to use facial recognition technology in public places to catch women who breach the Islamic Republic’s hijab laws. Mohammad Saleh Hashemi Golpayegani, the secretary of Iran’s Headquarters for Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice, said in a recent interview that there are plans to use surveillance technology to find women who refuse to adhere to laws that regulate women’s clothing. The plans come after a decree signed by hardline President Ebrahim Raisi in mid-August, which further curtailed women’s freedom of dress. Wearing the hijab and modest clothing became… Read More View the full article

Published by Al-Araby Hundreds of Google and Amazon workers across the US are expected to walk out of work on Thursday, to protest the tech giants’ recent billion-dollar deal with Israel and alleged anti-Palestinian sentiments at the companies. It comes after Amazon and Google agreed ‘Project Nimbus’, a $1.2 billion deal to supply the Israeli government with artificial intelligence and cloud storage facilities. Strikes against the deal and an alleged crackdown on pro-Palestinian workers at Google and Amazon are planned in New York, Seattle, San Francisco, and Durham on Thursday afternoon, including the tech giants’… Read More View the full article

Published by uPolitics.com A controversial speaker took the stage at former President Donald Trump‘s rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. The line-up included Cynthia Hughes, who heads a legal defense funding group to help those charged in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots like her nephew, Tim Cusanelli. Cusanelli was convicted for his own role in the Capitol attack and is alleged to have Nazi views. He reportedly once said that Hitler “should have finished the job,” though he has since denied it. Cusanelli has since been imprisoned for nearly two years for taking part in the Capitol attack despite not being charged with… Read More View the full article

Published by Reuters By Ahmed Aboulenein WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States will boost its stockpile of at-home COVID-19 tests, ordering more than 100 million tests from domestic manufacturers, the White House said on Thursday, but warned it was a short-term solution. President Joe Biden’s administration has repeatedly and unsuccessfully asked Congress for more pandemic money. It said last week it would request $22.4 billion in emergency funding for COVID-19 relief ahead of a potential case surge in autumn. “The Administration is acting, within its limited funding, to increase the supply of at-home COVID-19 tests in the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) by purchasing over 100 million additional at-home, rapid tests from domestic manufacturers,” the White House said in a statement. The administration has warned it would be unable to provide enough tests, vaccines and treatments without more funding. Thursday’s announcement comes a week after it suspended orders of free tests from its COVIDTests.gov website as of Sept. 2. “While insufficient to adequately replenish our existing stockpile of at-home tests, this procurement will help meet some testing needs in the months ahead and will put us in a better position to manage a potential increase in testing demand this fall and winter,” the White House said of the new tests. It did not say if ordering from COVIDTests.gov, through which 600 million tests have been delivered, would resume as a result. It said last week that orders through the website would resume if Congress provides funding. The administration is also launching a telehealth “Test to Treat” program that will allow people in 15 rural and high-risk communities to get tests delivered to their homes, use telehealth to consult a clinician, and get antiviral treatments prescribed and delivered if necessary at no cost, it said. There are currently 2,800 “Test to Treat” sites where people can be tested at a pharmacy and immediately receive free pills if they test positive. (Reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein in WashingtonAdditional reporting by Rami Ayyub and Susan Heavey in WashingtonEditing by Matthew Lewis) View the full article

Published by Reuters By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) – The crowning achievement of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, who died on Thursday after 70 years on the throne, was to maintain the popularity of the monarchy across decades of seismic political, social and cultural change that threatened to make it an anachronism. A dignified, dependable figure who reigned longer than any other British monarch, Elizabeth helped steer the institution into the modern world, stripping away court ritual and making it somewhat more open and accessible, all in the glare of an increasingly intrusive and often hostile media. While the nation she reigned over sometimes struggled to find its place in a new world order and her own family often fell foul of public expectations, the queen herself remained a symbol of stability. She also tried to transcend class barriers and earned the grudging respect of even hardened republicans. To much of the world she was the personification of Britain, yet she remained something of an enigma as an individual, never giving an interview and rarely expressing emotion or offering a personal opinion in public – a woman recognised by millions but known by hardly anyone. “I think she’s brought life, energy and passion to the job, she’s managed to modernise and evolve the monarchy like no other,” her grandson Prince William, who is now the heir to the throne, said in a television documentary in 2012. THE YOUNG QUEEN Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born on April 21, 1926 at 17 Bruton Street in central London. The young princess never expected to ascend to the throne: it was only after her uncle King Edward VIII abdicated in 1936 because of his love for American divorcee Wallis Simpson that the crown passed to her father, George VI, when she was 10. She was just 25 when her father died and she became Queen Elizabeth II on February 6, 1952, while on tour in Kenya with her husband Prince Philip. Winston Churchill was the first of 15 prime ministers who served during her reign. “In a way I didn’t have an apprenticeship, my father died much too young and so it was all a very sudden kind of taking on, and making the best job you can,” she said in a 1992 documentary. “It’s a question of maturing into something that one’s got used to doing and accepting the fact that here you are and it’s your fate. It is a job for life.” During her 70 years on the throne Britain underwent dramatic change. The austere postwar 1950s gave way to the swinging 60s, the divisive leadership of Margaret Thatcher in the 80s, Tony Blair’s three-term New Labour era, a return to economic austerity and then the COVID-19 pandemic. Labour and Conservative governments came and went, feminism changed attitudes to women, and Britain became a much more cosmopolitan, multi-ethnic society. Elizabeth was on the throne for most of the Cold War from the death of Soviet leader Josef Stalin. During her reign there were 14 U.S. presidents, from Harry S. Truman to Joe Biden, and she met all bar Lyndon Johnson. Britain’s vote to leave the European Union in 2016 exposed deep divisions in British society, while nationalists continued their push for a new referendum on Scottish independence that had the potential to rip apart the United Kingdom. “As we look for new answers in the modern age, I for one prefer the tried and tested recipes, like speaking well of each other and respecting different points of view; coming together to seek out the common ground; and never losing sight of the bigger picture,” the queen said ahead of a 2014 referendum on Scottish secession, in what appeared to be a message to politicians. Scots voted to remain in the United Kingdom. MORE EGALITARIAN Over time, Britain evolved into a more egalitarian society, where the ruling class had to make way for a burgeoning middle class, where aristocrats no longer dominated the top universities and the majority of hereditary peers lost their seats in parliament’s House of Lords. At first, Elizabeth relied heavily on her father’s old circle of advisers but gradually she brought in more career diplomats and business executives to the royal court as she and her husband Philip sought to modernise the monarchy. “She’s shrewd, she’s compassionate, she has a good deal of insight, and she has the typical and traditional virtues that you associate with the British,” former Prime Minister John Major said amid celebrations to mark her 90th birthday. “If you were designing someone to be monarch here in Britain, I think you would design someone exactly like Elizabeth II.” In 1992, the queen responded to criticism about royal wealth by offering to pay income tax and cutting the number of her family members on the state payroll. But her years on the throne were often far from smooth sailing. She spent much of the early part of her reign saying farewell to the British Empire amassed under her forebears, from Kenya to Hong Kong. Barbados was the most recent country to dispense with her as head of state in November 2021. However, she remained the monarch of 15 countries and head of the Commonwealth. Her marriage to Philip, a Greek prince she wed aged 21, stayed solid for 73 years until his death in April 2021, but her sister, daughter and two of her sons were – very publicly – not so lucky in love. She famously described as an “annus horribilis” the 40th anniversary of her accession in 1992 after three of her four children’s marriages failed and there was a fire at her Windsor Castle residence. PRINCESS DIANA’S DEATH The death in 1997 of Princess Diana, the divorced wife of Elizabeth’s eldest son Charles, inflicted even more damage on the family’s public prestige. It was the only occasion during her reign when there was any serious suggestion that the monarchy’s days might be numbered. The period was famously captured in the 2006 Oscar-winning film “The Queen”, when Elizabeth was portrayed as earnest but misunderstood. But while her children and other royals at times blundered in and out of tabloid headlines with marital woes and public indiscretions, Elizabeth’s own behaviour remained above reproach. “It’s not that she’s never put a foot wrong, it’s more positive than that – she understands the British people,” said Professor Vernon Bogdanor, an expert in British constitutional history. The main criticism levelled against her was that she was too solemn, distant and aloof. Critics said the only time she had shown real emotion in public was when the royals bid a tearful farewell to their magnificent yacht Britannia, months after her stoical response to Diana’s death. But according to those who worked closely with her, in private she was not the detached public figure most saw, but perceptive, funny, and keenly aware of the nation’s mood. LESS FORMALITY In the last 20 years, backed by a far more professional and sophisticated media operation, there was still pomp and pageantry, but less formality around the queen and her family. Millions turned out for celebrations to mark her 50th, 60th and 70th years on the throne, while her starring role in a spoof James Bond film became the highlight of the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games. In the short sequence she greeted Bond actor Daniel Craig at Buckingham Palace, uttering just four words before visual effects showed her apparently joining him on a helicopter and parachuting into the stadium. A decade later at the start of a Platinum Jubilee pop concert, she again won huge plaudits for a pre-recorded comic sketch with Paddington Bear, in which she told the famous fictional character that she always kept his favourite snack – a marmalade sandwich – in her ever-present handbag. The queen was said to crack jokes with world leaders, enjoy an easy familiarity with long-serving Commonwealth heads of government, and relish a wager on race horses. Racing was an enduring passion. She was also accompanied for most of her reign by her corgi dogs, which earned a reputation for snapping at the heels of royal retainers and were descended from the dog called Susan she received as an 18th birthday gift from her parents. “What we actually know about the queen is remarkably little,” said Matthew Dennison, a biographer of Elizabeth. “We know that she enjoys racing. We know that she likes corgis. We know that she prefers blankets and sheets to duvets. But beyond that, we know almost nothing about her.” During World War Two she learned to be a driver and a mechanic while serving in the women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service. Her love of the outdoors and of animals was well documented and commentators said she came across as more at home in tweeds than tiaras. “I do rather begrudge some of the hours that I have to do instead of being outdoors,” she once said. Prince William’s wife Kate said that behind closed doors, the queen eschewed royal pomp. “You would expect a lot of grandeur and a lot of fuss… but actually what really resonates with me is her love for simple things, the lack of fuss and I think that’s a special quality to have,” Kate told a TV documentary to mark Elizabeth’s 90th birthday. CORONATION Elizabeth became queen in 1952 and was crowned on June 2, 1953 in a televised ceremony in Westminster Abbey, becoming the first queen in her own right since Queen Victoria and the 40th monarch in a royal line that traces its origin back to William the Conqueror in 1066. “Horrible,” she said of the carriage ride which took her from Buckingham Palace to the Abbey. “It’s only sprung on leather, not very comfortable.” In September 2015, she overtook Victoria to become the country’s longest ever reigning monarch, an achievement to which she said she had never aspired, and the following year there were more celebrations for her 90th birthday. She ascended the throne at the same age as Elizabeth I, but while the first Elizabeth saw her country attain the status of an important trading nation in the 16th century, her namesake presided over a Britain slipping from its position as a world leader in industry and technology. As Britain’s place shifted, so the queen came to stand for unity, and the pomp around her family – with gilded carriages and spectacular royal weddings – a source of national pride for many. Prince William’s marriage in 2011 to commoner Kate Middleton, which saw more than a million people throng London’s streets and drew an estimated two billion global viewers, was testament to that. Opinion polls showed the country still largely believed in the hereditary monarch as head of state. However, with her death, the monarchy’s future is set to face scrutiny like never before. Some commentators say the British public will not feel as strongly towards Charles, and polls suggest he is far less popular. The decision of Prince Harry, William’s younger brother, and his American wife Meghan, a former actress, to give up their royal roles has also robbed the institution of two of its most popular global figures, while their accusations of racism against the institution linger. The U.S. sex abuse civil lawsuit against second son Prince Andrew, which he paid to settle, has also inflicted damage on the family’s reputation. Andrew did not admit any wrongdoing in the case. He was not accused of criminal wrongdoing. FAMILY LIFE AND PUBLIC DUTY At her side for nearly all her reign was her husband, who she credited with being her “strength and stay”. “I was blessed that in Prince Philip I had a partner willing to carry out the role of consort and unselfishly make the sacrifices that go with it,” she said in February 2022 when she marked 70 years on the throne. The couple had four children: Charles born in 1948, Anne in 1950, Andrew in 1960 and Edward in 1964. She had eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. During much of her reign she was often upstaged for attention by three flamboyant women – her popular mother, Elizabeth the Queen Mother, her younger sister Margaret and later Princess Diana. But the personal sorrow of losing her mother and sister – who died within weeks of each other in her Golden Jubilee year of 2002 – helped the queen establish her own position, leaving her the undisputed matriarchal figure of the nation. Her working life included thousands of official engagements, varying from trips to schools and hospitals, to the grand ceremonies of state visits and national occasions. She was famous for wearing brightly coloured outfits with a matching hat on royal engagements, to ensure she stood out from the crowds on her many “walkabouts”. “I have to be seen to be believed,” she is said to have quipped. She also took her religious duties as Supreme Governor of the Church of England very seriously, saying in 2012 the established Church was “commonly under-appreciated”. She travelled further than any previous monarch, undertaking more than 250 overseas visits to well over 100 countries. She was renowned for her stamina and began cutting back on a once hectic timetable of foreign tours only as she moved into her 80s. Even in her 90s she regularly carried out engagements. On one such event at the age of 93, she told officials she was still capable of planting a tree before shovelling the soil into the hole, and it was another two years after that before she needed to use a walking stick in public. When she was hospitalised in March 2013 with symptoms of gastroenteritis, it was the first time she had needed hospital treatment in a decade. It was not until October 2021 that she next spent a night in hospital, and she doggedly carried on with light duties even after testing positive for COVID in February the following year. Her enduring importance was demonstrated at the start of the pandemic in 2020. With an anxious nation under a rigorous lockdown, the government turned to the queen to provide reassurance in a televised broadcast. Usually she gave such addresses only in her annual Christmas broadcast. The queen had a few notable security scares. In 1981, a British youth fired blank shots near her during the military Trooping the Colour ceremony. Her horse shied but she was unhurt. The same year, a “severely disturbed” teenager tried to assassinate the monarch while she was on a visit to New Zealand but he missed with his rifle shot. In July 1982, an unemployed labourer called Michael Fagan made his way into her Buckingham Palace bedroom. He spoke briefly to Elizabeth, who was in her nightclothes, before being hauled off by security guards. THE FUTURE “It has been said that ‘the art of progress is to preserve order amid change and change amid order’, and in this the queen is unparalleled,” then-Prime Minister David Cameron said in a speech to parliament in 2012. “She has never shut the door on the future; instead, she has led the way through it.” The queen’s family and Britain’s political elite spoke in admiration of her ability to adapt without losing any of the dignity of her role. The future success of the monarchy could depend on how much Britons admire the next person on the throne. “Monarchy is only as good as the people doing the job,” said royal biographer Robert Lacey, who was historical consultant to the Netflix drama “The Crown”. “We are essentially, when you look at the structure and the way the country runs, a republic with this glorious bauble that we all enjoy on top. And we can always unscrew the bauble any time we want.” Elizabeth herself set out her life’s goal at an early age. “I declare before you all,” she said in a 21st birthday broadcast, “that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family.” (Writing by Michael Holden; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, Andrew Heavens and Frances Kerry) View the full article

Published by Raw Story By Brad Reed Dozens of state troopers are being investigated after they posed in uniform for a photo with former President Donald Trump, which may have violated rules about troopers taking part in political activities without first getting permission. Penn Live reports that Democratic Gov. Tom Wolfe has launched a probe into the photo, which Trump has made the featured picture on his Truth Social profile even though it was supposed to have been a private photo. As Penn Live notes, the photo raises questions “about whether the photo violated department policies that require approval for officer… Read More View the full article