w

Brits urged not to 'throw away' coronavirus lockdown efforts as Boris Johnson prepares to exercise 'extreme caution' with restriction easing

Boris Johnson will exercise "extreme caution" in easing lockdown restrictions, the Transport Secretary has said, as he warned the public not to "throw away" their hard work by going outside.




w

Government launches £2 billion bid to turn England into nation of cyclists and walkers to reduce spread of coronavirus on public transport

England's commuters will need to walk, cycle and even scoot more as ongoing social distancing will force them to seek alternative forms of transport, the Government has announced.




w

Motorist caught driving hundreds of miles to deliver puppy from Liverpool to Wales

A driver has been given a warning by police after breaching lockdown restrictions to transport a puppy to the other side of the country.




w

Prince Harry says life has 'changed dramatically' as he pays tribute to healthcare workers in Invictus Games video message

The Duke of Sussex has reflected on how "dramatically" life has changed, as he marked what would have been the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games.




w

Boris Johnson to replace 'stay home' message with 'stay alert' as he delivers lockdown 'road map' address to nation

Boris Johnson is to replace his "stay at home" slogan with a fresh rallying cry to the nation, as the battle against coronavirus rages on.




w

Food For London Now faces: 'Anything you can spare will go towards helping those who might have lost everything'

Felix Project volunteer Ed Preston shares his story You can donate at virginmoneygiving.com/fund/FoodforLondonNOW




w

Food For London Now faces: 'We need to use this Covid-19 crisis as a wake-up call to help those in need'

Christopher Evans-Gordon from Family Meals shares his story You can donate at virginmoneygiving.com/fund/FoodforLondonNOW




w

UK coronavirus LIVE: Boris Johnson to address nation on lockdown plan as new 'stay alert' slogan set to be rolled out

It comes as trade union leaders warn that they will not tell their members to return to work unless safety standards are improved. Mr Johnson is expected to urge employees who cannot do their jobs from home to begin returning to their workplaces while following social-distancing rules.




w

Polar vortex brings rare May snow, low temps to US East

Mother’s Day weekend got off to an unseasonably snowy start in the Northeast on Saturday thanks to the polar vortex bringing cold air down from the north. John Cannon, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine, said parts of northern New England saw as much as 10 inches of snow and even coastal areas of Maine and New Hampshire got a dusting.





w

The week that was: A balance of economy and public health

As heads of state, local leaders, business owners and individual citizens weighed the costs of re-opening the global economy, fears of new outbreaks grew. A central question emerged: How much infection and loss of life will emerge amid the push to restart business? In Waterloo, Iowa, the virus is “devastating everything." The community is home to a meatpacking plant, and residents are worried it is becoming a vector for the virus.





w

What you need to know today about the virus outbreak

Countries around the world are wrestling with how to ease curbs on business and public activity without having the coronavirus come surging back. Meanwhile some governors are seeking to bolster home-state production of vital medical supplies and protective equipment.





w

Do not allow 'biased' election watchdog power to prosecute, say MPs

The election watchdog has revealed that it is pressing ahead with plans to hand itself powers to prosecute campaigners and political parties, putting itself on a collision course with ministers. The Electoral Commission is planning to publish a consultation setting out proposals to hand itself a "prosecutions capability", despite senior Tories insisting that the body is "not trusted to be impartial". The disclosure comes after the Metropolitan Police confirmed that it had ended investigations into Darren Grimes and Alan Halsall, two pro-Brexit campaign figures, two years after a referral by the commission for alleged breaches of spending rules. The move prompted calls for the commission to be "overhauled", with Mr Grimes describing the body as a "kangaroo court" that was not "fit for purpose". Separately, the National Crime Agency found no evidence that any criminal offences were committed by Arron Banks, another prominent Brexiteer, after another referral by the watchdog. Last night Matthew Elliott, who was chief executive of the official Vote Leave campaign, claimed that the commission's record showed that if it acquired the new powers, "there will be countless travesties of justice, and democracy will be undermined.” Sir Bernard Jenkin, the former chairman of the Commons public administration committee, said: "These proposals appear to be doubling down on a failed system. Parliament should change it." Another Conservative MP said: "I can't think of any public body that is less deserving of prosecuting powers than the Electoral Commission, who have shown themselves to be biased and, frankly, vindictive." Last year Jacob Rees-Mogg, now the leader of the Commons, and Brandon Lewis, who has also been appointed to Boris Johnson's cabinet, both expressed alarm at the watchdog's plans to hand itself powers currently exercised by the police and Crown Prosecution Service - after the move was revealed by this newspaper. The watchdog has faced repeated accusations of bias against bodies that campaigned for Brexit in 2016, which it strongly denies. The commission claims it could hand itself the powers without ministers bringing forward legislation, by altering its enforcement policy following a public consultation - due to open in the coming weeks. But MPs warned that some groups could be unfairly targeted. Speaking last year, while Tory chairman, Mr Lewis pointed out that one senior figure at the commission - the same official spearheading the proposals - had previously said that she would "not want to live under a Tory government". He suggested the body was not seen as a "fair" arbiter. As a backbencher, Mr Rees-Mogg called for the Conservatives to formally oppose the move, saying: "The Electoral Commission is not trusted to be impartial and a number of its leading figures have said very prejudicial things about Brexit." The commission's corporate plan for the period from 2020 to 2025 states: "To deter people from committing offences, and to make sure we can respond proportionally if they do, we will continue to build the capacity to prosecute suspected offences. We will consult on the way we approach the use of prosecutions." An Electoral Commission spokesman said: “Later this year we will be consulting with political parties, the police and the CPS on changes to our enforcement policy, which includes a prosecutions capability, and will bring our regulatory work in line with a wide range of other regulators. “Extending our work in this direction would enable us to bring lower order offences before the courts in a way which is swift and proportionate, freeing up the resources of the police and prosecutors and delivering more effective regulation of political finance to support public confidence.” Mr Elliott said: “The Electoral Commission’s track record at conducting investigations is woeful. "In the case of Leave campaigners ... they assumed that we were guilty until proven innocent ... Thankfully, the Metropolitan Police and Crown Prosecution Service looked at the evidence thoroughly, and saw through the conspiracy theories that the Electoral Commission had believed without question." The commission insisted it was "right that potential electoral offences are properly investigated by the appropriate authority". A spokesman said there was "no substance to allegations that the Commission is biased", saying the organisation had investigated campaigners and parties across the political spectrum.





w

National parks visitors should plan for 'new normal'

After closing amid the coronavirus pandemic, the National Park Service is testing public access at several parks across the nation, including two in Utah, with limited offerings and services. Visitor centers and campgrounds remain largely shuttered at Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef, but visitors are welcome at some of the sites. Sullivan was on a day visit to hike the park’s Rim Trail and Bryce Amphitheater, two of the few hiking destinations currently open at Bryce.





w

Libyan officials: Shelling at Tripoli's only working airport




w

Obama lashes out at Trump in call with supporters

Former President Barack Obama harshly criticized President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic as an “absolute chaotic disaster” during a conversation with ex-members of his administration, according to a recording obtained by Yahoo News. Obama also reacted to the Justice Department dropping its criminal case against Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, saying he worried that the “basic understanding of rule of law is at risk.” Obama’s comments came during a Friday call with 3,000 members of the Obama Alumni Association, people who served in his administration.





w

NY priest on virus front lines with embattled congregation

Raul Luis López never had the chance to say goodbye. The 39-year-old native of Oaxaca, Mexico, suffered from diabetes which worsened his illness. The day he left for treatment was the last time his wife, Sara Cruz, saw him.





w

Cameroon's deadly mix of war and coronavirus

Fighting continues to rage in English-speaking parts of Cameroon after most armed groups reject a truce.





w

Iranians fearful as virus infections rise anew

While many residents in Iran's capital are taking advantage of loosened COVID-19 controls, some worry about a new spike in infections in what remains the Middle East's deadliest virus epicentre. The government began paring back coronavirus controls outside Tehran on April 11, arguing that the economy -- already sagging under punitive US sanctions -- needed to get back to bare bones operations. It allowed small businesses to reopen in the capital a week later, before permitting malls to welcome customers on April 21 and barbers on Wednesday.





w

Pakistan police: Cross border firing from India kills woman









w

Sex and Dating to Get Even More Complicated Once Lockdown Lifts...


Sex and Dating to Get Even More Complicated Once Lockdown Lifts...


(Second column, 17th story, link)






w

Investigators reviewing additional video footage in Ahmaud Arbery case...


Investigators reviewing additional video footage in Ahmaud Arbery case...


(Second column, 1st story, link)





w

Real Lord of the Flies: What happened when six boys were shipwrecked for 15 months...


Real Lord of the Flies: What happened when six boys were shipwrecked for 15 months...


(First column, 11th story, link)


Drudge Report Feed needs your support!   Become a Patron












w

Demi Lovato Says She's "Really Happy" With Max Ehrich After Sharing PDA Clip From "Stuck with U" Video

Demi Lovato says she's really happy with Max Ehrich after posting their swoon-worthy moment from the new Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber video, "Stuck with U," directly to her own...




w

Why Emma Stone's Fans Are Convinced She's Already Married to Dave McCary

Wedding bells?! Here's a new celebrity theory making the internet rounds: fans are convinced that Emma Stone is already married to Saturday Night Live writer, Dave...




w

Kim Kardashian Says Psalm West Makes "Everything Perfect" in Sweet Birthday Post

Kim Kardashian's baby boy turns one! The Keeping Up With the Kardashian star is celebrating Psalm West's first birthday. It's safe to assume her and Kanye West's little...




w

Priyanka Chopra Adorably Crashes Nick Jonas' Virtual Happy Hour With The Voice Coaches

In the second installment of The Voice's virtual happy hour, the show's coaches shared their attempts at keeping busy and sane during quarantine, by sipping cocktails and sharing their...




w

Hannah Brown's Mom Appears to Throw Shade at Her Daughter's Ex Jed Wyatt

Is Hannah Brown's mom throwing shade at one of her former exes? On Friday, Hannah's mom Susanne Brown took to Instagram on Friday to wish her youngest a happy birthday but in...




w

Rihanna's Latest Makeup Video Will Make You Love Her Even More

Rihanna is a big mood. There's no denying the Fenty Beauty founder is our style, makeup and music inspiration. And on Friday night, she gave us another reason to love...




w

Psalm West Turns 1! Look Back At All of His Sweetest Pics

Happy birthday, Psalm West! Today is an especially sweet Mother's Day weekend for Kim Kardashian because her youngest is celebrating his first birthday. We can't believe...




w

Ruthie Ann Miles Welcomes Baby Girl Two Years After Tragic Accident

It's a girl! And her name is Hope Elizabeth. Tony-award-winning Broadway star Ruthie Ann Miles and her husband Jonathan Blumenstein welcomed a new member to the family recently,...




w

Reese Witherspoon's Party Planner Shares How to Host the Perfect Zoom Bash For Any Celebration

Continued social distancing doesn't have to mean the end of socializing. As the planet continues to stick close to home in the effort of slowing the global coronavirus pandemic, time...




w

Andy Cohen Says His Son Benjamin and Anderson Cooper's Son Wyatt Will Be 'Best Friends'

A lifelong friendship awaits Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper's sons. The 51-year-old TV host took some time while in quarantine to answer a few fan questions on his Instagram Story on...




w

Cara Delevingne and Ashley Benson Are Officially ''Moving On'' Following Their Recent Split

Ashley Benson and Cara Delevingne don't seem to have plans for reconciliation. After almost two years since the two began dating and one year since they went public with their...




w

Katy Perry Gets Real About Crying When ''Doing Simple Tasks'' During Pregnancy

Katy Perry is getting real about her hormonal changes and mood swings during pregnancy. On Saturday, during the SHEIN Together livestream event--a virtual festival led by the clothing...




w

Netflix's Too Hot to Handle Francesca Farago and Harry Jowsey Get Engaged During Zoom Reunion

Nothing is stopping these two lovebirds. The infamous Too Hot to Handle couple Harry Jowsey and Francesca Farago are officially engaged. During a recent Zoom reunion of the...




w

What Governments In The Western Hemisphere Are Getting Right — And Wrong

We look at nations in our hemisphere, from Canada to Argentina, to see which governments are succeeding — and which are not — in keeping coronavirus infections down.