News/Nachrichten

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 Brexit has sparked an exodus of economically productive people from the UK to European Union nations on a scale that would normally be expected only as a result of a major economic or political crisis, according to a detailed new study. Using a combination of official statistics across the EU and in-depth interviews with people living in Germany, the study found huge changes in migration patterns of UK citizens since the 2016 referendum, which contrast with largely stable ones among nationals from the 27 EU states remaining in the bloc. Huge surge in Britons applying for non-UK passports Read more The report, a collaboration between the Oxford in BerlinResearch Partnership – a project made up of Oxford university and four Berlin institutions – and the WZB Berlin Social Science Center, also found a “seismic shift” in the number of UK citizens already living abroad who had decided to go a step further by obtaining EU member state passports since 2016, showing how Britain’s vote to leave the EU pushed many individuals into long-term decisions. The study says that migration from the UK to EU countries has increased by about 30% compared to pre-Brexit numbers. Britons living in other EU countries who decided to obtain EU member state passports as well as their UK ones had increased by more than 500% overall, and by 2,000% in Germany. Dr Daniel Auer, a co-author of the report, said: “These increases in numbers are of a magnitude that you would expect when a country is hit by a major economic or political crisis.” Moreover, the study found that UK migrants are among the most educated and skilled of those from any nation, with one of the highest net average income rates, suggesting that Brexit has begun a steady drain of the most talented and productive people to the continent. In Germany, UK migrants were among the highest earners, bringing in on average €2,812 a month in 2019, just behind those from Austria and the US. There are now about 1.2 million British citizens living in the EU, between 120,000 and 150,000 of which are in Germany. In the four years since the Brexit referendum, 31,600 Brits have been granted dual British/German citizenship: 2019 saw 14,600 naturalisations compared to 622 in 2015. About half of all British citizens living in Germany will have dual UK/German nationality by the end of 2020, the report says. These increases are of a magnitude that you would expect when a country is hit by a major economic or political crisis Dr Daniel Auer, report co-author Interviews with UK citizens living and working in Germany showed Brexit had made people prepared to take on levels of risk that they previously would not have considered. A British academic in his 40s, who is married with a young family – and who migrated in July 2016 – told researchers: “The referendum happened and we immediately changed our minds about buying a house in Bristol. Our whole emigration decision hung on the referendum result.” The majority of interviewees who left agreed to either a pay cut or a pay freeze as part of their decision. Some struggled to find a job. “I have still not found work, which is not what I expected […] The cost of the move in personal and financial terms is always difficult to foresee, and I’m starting to wonder if I underestimated the risk involved,” said a British IT worker who migrated in October 2019 with his wife and three children. Co-author Daniel Tetlow added: “We’re observing a new social migration phenomenon and a redefining of what it means to be British-European. In 2019, Brits came in just behind Turks in numbers receiving German citizenship – way ahead of Poles, Romanians, Iraqis or Syrians, whom you might otherwise expect to be more eagerly applying for German/EU citizenship.” 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 If Amy Lamé feels bruised by calls for her to quit her job, she is determined not to show it. The UK’s first “night tsar” has faced brutal criticism ever since she was hired in 2016 to champion London’s night-time culture. Nightclubs and music venue owners have claimed they do not know what she does, while at least one music magazine has asked what is the point of Lamé. Now, with the capital’s cultural life facing catastrophe, the industry is taking out its frustrations on Lamé. Last week, a petition with several hundred signatories from the nightlife sector was submitted to the mayor of London, demanding she be removed from her role, and that the position be re-evaluated. The complainants wrote that Lamé’s response to Covid-19 “has been extremely disappointing and has not inspired any confidence in why she receives a salary of £83,169”. The petition claims that she did not understand the infrastructure of the music and arts scene and has failed to adequately advocate for it in a crisis. “People will have their opinions, but I will be judged by the work that I do,” she says. Speaking to the Observer via video call, with a press officer from City Hall sitting in, Lamé admits the hostility is “unpleasant” but says she is getting on with the job. “Different people have different ideas of [how to do] it, but I’ve got 25 years-plus experience in running my own business, my own nightclub. My background is in advocating for venues: I helped save what is perhaps the most iconic LGBTQ+ venue in the country.” While working full time in the night tsar role and as a frequent radio host on BBC6 Music, Lamé also presented Duckie, one of London’s most celebrated club nights, which until lockdown had run every week for more than 20 years. In 2018, she helped secure the future of its host venue, Royal Vauxhall Tavern, which has been a centre of gay culture for decades. Now, of course, it is just one of thousands of London institutions battling to survive. More than a dozen club owners, promoters and nightlife workers who spoke to the Observer believe Lamé has achieved little in the post and has in recent months been absent. The criticism was unanimous, but none would go on the record for fear of damaging already fraught relationships with City Hall. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Over 40 cities around the world now have ‘night mayors’, but lockdown has been devastating for the after-dark economy. Photograph: PYMCA/UIG via Getty Images Bigger clubs have employed professional bid-writers to apply for loans from the government’s £270m culture recovery fund. Meanwhile, smaller pubs and spaces are relying on crowdfunding to save their future: The Gun in east London raised £30,000 in less than 24 hours to avoid going under; and last Friday, independent venues EartH and Village Underground launched a campaign hoping to do the same. “All I can do is listen,” says Lamé. “Like I did with the guy who started the petition: I called him up and said: ‘Let’s talk’. I have a kind ear and an open-door policy. If we can help, we will. If we can’t we will signpost you towards where to access that help.” Lamé’s is arguably a powerless role: she has no influence over the regulatory and licensing decisions that affect the city’s night culture. When she was appointed, London had lost more than half of its nightclubs and more than a third of its live music venues between 2007 and 2017. That tide appeared to have been stemmed – there has been no net loss of music venues during Lamé’s tenure. Then Covid-19 hit. But in the pandemic, hers is just one of multiple voices lobbying central government. Plus, she says, the nuts and bolts of what she and her team do are misunderstood. “If we were busy before lockdown, we have been quadruply so since. Nightclubs are a part of my job, but it is not all of my job. In London, we take a very specific view of life at night. Everything that happens between 6pm and 6am is part of the night-time remit – it’s not just the hospitality industry.” Night-time planning is an emerging field: more than 40 cities around the world have appointed night mayors, managers or tsars since Amsterdam pioneered the idea in 2014. Earlier this month, in Manchester, the city’s night-time economy adviser, Sacha Lord, was key to stopping the permanent closure of live music venues Gorilla and The Deaf Institute. In lockdown, Lord also set up a live streaming platform for local DJs and artists which raised just under half a million pounds to be distributed to local nightlife workers unable to access the furlough scheme or government grants. In 2017, Sadiq Khan set up an independent Night Time Commission. Lamé was not involved in producing its landmark report but it is now her job to implement its 10 recommendations. Does she feel she is doing a good job? “Well, there is a hell of a lot more to do. I guess my question is, what do people expect a night tsar to do? What are their expectations? If you want a night tsar that will be out partying every night, you’ve got the wrong night tsar.” But that’s not what her critics are asking for – they want her to loudly advocate for night culture, answer their emails and make a stronger impact on local authorities and central government. Lamé is frustrated: “I believe that I’m doing the best job I can to support the businesses to survive the pandemic.” 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 Hundreds of private renters in England in receipt of benefits are still struggling to secure accommodation despite a landmark ruling saying that landlords are not allowed to discriminate against this group. A disabled single mother who became homeless after being refused the chance to move into a private rented property because she was on benefits won the landmark court case last month. It was the first time a court has ruled that the so-called “no DSS” [Department for Social Security] rule operated by many private landlords – thought to have prevented hundreds of thousands of people from renting homes over the years – breached equality laws. The rule is a reference to the practice used by some landlords to describe the vetting of a class of tenants they regard as unsuitable. The case was brought by the housing charity Shelter. Polly Neate, the chief executive of Shelter, welcomed the court ruling when it was made, but she told the Guardian that hundreds of people had contacted the housing charity since the ruling raising concerns about the DSS issue. Neate said: “Hundreds of people have since contacted our services with similar stories and we are still hearing of letting agents and private landlords ignoring the judgment.” Iffat Saif, a lawyer, who with her husband and two children is in receipt of housing benefit following a recent grant of leave to remain in the UK after fleeing persecution in Pakistan, said she had called 57 landlords and letting agents since the ruling. All either turned her down when she mentioned the word “DSS” or told her she needed to provide a guarantor who would guarantee the tenancy for £50,000. “We want to work hard here but we have only recently got our leave to remain in the UK and it will take time for us to sort ourselves out,” she said. After leaving Home Office accommodation in Southall, west London, that was infested with rats and cockroaches the family has moved into an emergency hostel for homeless people where the family of four are crowded into one room. “I’m so worried about the risk of infection for my children in this place. Large numbers of people are sharing the same bathrooms and toilets and we are very overcrowded in one room. The council told us we should contact landlords and letting agents ourselves to try to find accommodation. I called 57 landlords and when I told them we are DSS they all said no.” She said the landlords did not seem to be aware of the recent court ruling outlawing discrimination against DSS tenants. Saif eventually found a guarantor, a contact in the UK she made while working as a lawyer in Pakistan. “A landlord has finally agreed to rent a property to us so we can at last leave the emergency hostel. But many people in receipt of DSS support do not have access to a guarantor who can offer to support them with £50,000.” Neate said: “The recent court judgment was an incredibly important step forward, but Shelter has been fighting ‘No DSS’ for nearly two years and will continue to do so until these discriminatory practices are stamped out for good. All landlords and letting agents should know that if they keep acting unlawfully, they could face legal action and hefty fines.” Jon Hardy, a Bristol member of Acorn, a community-based union of tenants, workers and residents, said: “While it’s welcome news that ‘No DSS’ tenancy bans have been declared unlawful in the recent landmark court ruling, it comes as no surprise to hear that some landlords are still refusing people who receive housing benefits. Everyone deserves a decent home and housing is a right, not an investment.” 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 Images show dozens of surfers about 10 metres from whales, which migrate up and down the Australian coast A humpback whale calf, closely followed by its mother, came within metres of surfers and swimmers at Manly beach, in Sydney’s north, on Sunday afternoon. It is unusual to see a whale calf so early in the year in Sydney. Eastern Australian humpbacks migrate north from Antarctica, along the coast to tropical waters in north Queensland from April to July. The whales give birth in the warmer waters and often mothers and calves are spotted heading south during the latter part of the Australian spring. Silence is golden for whales as lockdown reduces ocean noise Read more One boardrider, Josh, told Guardian Australia he had never seen a whale, particularly a calf, come so close to the beach at Manly. “There was a bit of pointing going on and I looked round and the little one was just there,” Josh said. “Then mum came in pretty quick smart, I think when she realised how close people were. “You often see [whales] further out the back but this one just came right up to where people were hanging on their boards.” Images show dozens of surfers watching from about 10m from the mother humpback and calf. John Martin (@Wingtags) Humpback whale appears to be in a shark net at Manly, unfortunately. Skin-diver appears to be assisting #abcmyvideo #sharknet #removesharknets #humpbackwhale @abcsydney pic.twitter.com/CZUjtRkw1D Initially there was some concern that one of the whales had been caught in a shark net, but surfers said that was not the case. “I think everyone was just paddling up to get a good look. It’s the sort of thing you won’t forget seeing.” Last week researchers from the University of NSW found that while whale watching season in Australia is often a tourism drawcard, many humpbacks were not in optimum health during the return leg of the migration. The researchers collected and analysed samples of whale blow – similar to mucus from a human nose – and found “significantly less” microbial diversity and richness on journey south. Their paper, published in the journal Scientific Reports, said this indicated the whales were likely in poorer health than when their journey began. “People enjoy whale-watching season, but with it comes reports of whales becoming stranded,” said the study’s lead author, science researcher Catharina Vendl. 'Yeah, I’m in trouble': man who rescued whale calf caught in Queensland nets faces $27,000 fine Read more “Although humpback whale stranding events occur naturally and regularly to injured and young whales, it is crucial to monitor the population health of this iconic species to ensure its long-term survival. “Humpback whales do not only play an essential role in their marine ecosystem but also represent an important economic resource because whale-watching is a booming industry in many Australian cities and around the world.” 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 Labour’s biggest union backer will review its political donations in light of Keir Starmer’s decision to pay damages to ex-staffers who claimed the party had not dealt with antisemitism, its general secretary has warned. In an interview with the Observer, Unite leader Len McCluskey said there was “no doubt” the union’s ruling executive would be demanding a review of the millions it donates to the Labour party in the wake of the six-figure settlements. “It’s an abuse of members’ money,” he said. “A lot of it is Unite’s money and I’m already being asked all kinds of questions by my executive. It’s as though a huge sign has been put up outside the Labour party with ‘queue here with your writ and get your payment over there’. McCluskey’s robust intervention will intensify the infighting prompted by the party’s decision to apologise and pay damages to seven staff who turned whistleblower for a BBC Panorama documentary on antisemitism. The party accused them of acting in bad faith, but settled as part of an attempt to draw a line under the antisemitism row. Former leader Jeremy Corbyn condemned the payouts. Any loss of financial support from Unite would pose a major problem for Labour. While its large membership provides some income, the union remains its biggest donor by far. It has given the central party more than £7m since the start of 2019, according to Electoral Commission records. In a wide-ranging interview, McCluskey put Starmer on notice that he would fight any shift to the right. He said it would “constitute a problem” if Starmer edged away from his 10 leadership campaign pledges, which included Corbyn-era policies such as higher taxes on the wealthy, abolishing tuition fees and “common ownership” of rail, mail, energy and water. “He has to recognise that the ship he is sailing, if it lists too much to the right, will go under,” he said. “We’ll have to wait to see how the situation unfolds. Unite is financially a very powerful and strong union. We have a political fund that is the largest in the whole of Europe. So of course, my members would expect that we are influential in that respect. There will be some interesting debates and discussions in the coming months with Keir, not only for myself but all the unions on the left who are equally in a situation at the moment where they’re wondering where we are, what direction are we going.”He also warned Starmer against the timidity that he says sank Ed Miliband’s leadership. “There’s nothing wrong with caution, so long as that doesn’t slip into fear or timidity,” he said. Jeremy Corbyn, the former leader, has also condemned the payouts. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian Following suggestions that the left has lost power and influence since Corbyn’s departure as leader, McCluskey revealed that figures across the left would gather for a major event this autumn. “I don’t see the creation of an alternative party to Labour. But I do think it is the duty and the legitimacy of the left to continue to argue for our views and our thoughts and our policies.” He said Starmer had to ensure he was including the left. “He seems to me to be really genuine about wanting to unite the party. But my message to him would be, you need to start making certain that you reach out the hand to the left – that they are an integral part of his thinking.” McCluskey denied reports that he would step down from his role earlier than expected. “My period in office finishes in April 2022 and I’ll be in charge until then,” he said. “This next six- to 12-month period is going to be very, very crucial in industry. That’s my main priority – and of course that spills over into politics, because what the government does, what Labour is campaigning for, matters.” 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 Brexit has sparked an exodus of economically productive people from the UK to European Union nations on a scale that would normally be expected only as a result of a major economic or political crisis, according to a detailed new study. Using a combination of official statistics across the EU and in-depth interviews with people living in Germany, the study found huge changes in migration patterns of UK citizens since the 2016 referendum, which contrast with largely stable ones among nationals from the 27 EU states remaining in the bloc. Huge surge in Britons applying for non-UK passports Read more The report, a collaboration between the Oxford in BerlinResearch Partnership – a project made up of Oxford university and four Berlin institutions – and the WZB Berlin Social Science Center, also found a “seismic shift” in the number of UK citizens already living abroad who had decided to go a step further by obtaining EU member state passports since 2016, showing how Britain’s vote to leave the EU pushed many individuals into long-term decisions. The study says that migration from the UK to EU countries has increased by about 30% compared to pre-Brexit numbers. Britons living in other EU countries who decided to obtain EU member state passports as well as their UK ones had increased by more than 500% overall, and by 2,000% in Germany. Dr Daniel Auer, a co-author of the report, said: “These increases in numbers are of a magnitude that you would expect when a country is hit by a major economic or political crisis.” Moreover, the study found that UK migrants are among the most educated and skilled of those from any nation, with one of the highest net average income rates, suggesting that Brexit has begun a steady drain of the most talented and productive people to the continent. In Germany, UK migrants were among the highest earners, bringing in on average €2,812 a month in 2019, just behind those from Austria and the US. There are now about 1.2 million British citizens living in the EU, between 120,000 and 150,000 of which are in Germany. In the four years since the Brexit referendum, 31,600 Brits have been granted dual British/German citizenship: 2019 saw 14,600 naturalisations compared to 622 in 2015. About half of all British citizens living in Germany will have dual UK/German nationality by the end of 2020, the report says. These increases are of a magnitude that you would expect when a country is hit by a major economic or political crisis Dr Daniel Auer, report co-author Interviews with UK citizens living and working in Germany showed Brexit had made people prepared to take on levels of risk that they previously would not have considered. A British academic in his 40s, who is married with a young family – and who migrated in July 2016 – told researchers: “The referendum happened and we immediately changed our minds about buying a house in Bristol. Our whole emigration decision hung on the referendum result.” The majority of interviewees who left agreed to either a pay cut or a pay freeze as part of their decision. Some struggled to find a job. “I have still not found work, which is not what I expected […] The cost of the move in personal and financial terms is always difficult to foresee, and I’m starting to wonder if I underestimated the risk involved,” said a British IT worker who migrated in October 2019 with his wife and three children. Co-author Daniel Tetlow added: “We’re observing a new social migration phenomenon and a redefining of what it means to be British-European. In 2019, Brits came in just behind Turks in numbers receiving German citizenship – way ahead of Poles, Romanians, Iraqis or Syrians, whom you might otherwise expect to be more eagerly applying for German/EU citizenship.” 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 Twitter has once again acted as judge, juro, and executioner. For four days, Twitter prevented the @BreitbartNews twitter account from posting, only restoring its permissions earlier today. This is in no small part because Twitter dragged its feet on Breitbart News’s appeal Twitter initially locked Breitbart News’s account because it posted a video of a press conference featuring Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) and licensed doctors sharing their views and opinions on coronavirus and the medical response to the pandemic. The event was held by the organization America’s Frontline Doctors and organized by the Tea Party Patriots. In short, Twitter has punished a news organization for posting a video of a live-streaming of a press conference held by a congressman and licensed medical doctors. At the event, some of the doctors shared their opinion on hydroxychloroquine, highlighting it as a potentially helpful treatment in fighting COVID-19. One doctor called it a “cure.” Because Breitbart News’s Twitter account carried a video livestream of their comments, Twitter accused Breitbart of “spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to COVID-19.” As an aside, Breitbart News is a news company, not a licensed medical professional and has no editorial position on the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19. But for Twitter (which is also not a licensed medical professional) to assert the video contained potentially harmful information rings hollow. Hydroxychloroquine is not Tide Pods; it’s not something people can simply go down to the local drugstore, buy, and ingest without medical advice and supervision. In the United States, hydroxychloroquine is a legal, FDA approved medication available only by prescription; so a person would have to go to their doctor and get it prescribed after making a decision with their own doctor whether or not to take hydroxychloroquine. And, whether Twitter likes it or not, or thinks it should be otherwise, doctors are prescribing hydroxychloroquine on an off-label basis for COVID-19. Twitter trying to pretend it is not happening or wishing it was not happening is self-sophistry. Twitter has demanded that Breitbart News delete the following tweets before restoring access to the account. Breitbart appealed that decision, and pending appeal has been locked out of its account. Incredibly, Twitter took almost three full days to reply to Breitbart’s appeal – meaning time and traffic lost during a fast-moving election season. When Twitter finally did respond, it denied the appeal. Twitter then demanded that Breitbart News delete the following tweets before restoring access to the account and that Breitbart serve a 12-hour “time out” — meaning even more time and traffic lost during a fast-moving election season. (Update: Twitter has unrestricted Breitbart News’ Twitter account.) Twitter’s actions have public health implications. The tech giant is preventing the public, including the critically ill, from receiving information from physicians with first-hand experience treating COVID-19 patients. Twitter’s censorship denies the public access to information — and that can put lives, health, and the well-being of Americans at risk. Hydroxychloroquine is a commonly prescribed drug that has been approved for use in the United States since the 1950s and is widely prescribed to treat malaria. The effectiveness of the drug as a treatment for COVID-19 is still the subject of discussion and debate among medical professionals. Harvey A. Risch, a professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, has argued in Newsweek that “tens of thousands of patients with COVID-19 are dying unnecessarily” because use of the drug has become so politicized. A media panic broke out after President Trump referenced reports that the drug might be effective in treating COVID-19, leading to the drug briefly being banned in Ohio. That ban has now been reversed by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy. The panic even extended to The Lancet, one of the oldest and perhaps the most prestigious medical journals in the world. A study, widely covered by the corporate media, claiming hydroxychloroquine is ineffective and potentially dangerous, had to be retracted by the journal after major discrepancies were found in the study’s data. Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-TX), who recently contracted COVID-19, announced yesterday that he would be taking the drug to treat the illness following advice from his doctor. I am taking #Hydroxychloroquine to treat my coronavirus diagnosis. It is what was decided as the best course of action between my doctor and me–not by government bureaucrats. How long until the tech tyrants censor this tweet? https://t.co/dzAYAXiQ8p — Louie Gohmert (@replouiegohmert) July 31, 2020 Here is where things stand: There is no definitive medical study that answers the question of hydroxychloroquine’s usefulness in treating COVID-19, especially when used in conjunction with other medications. Many licensed professionals have reportedly treated COVID-19 patients with it, and some have reported at least anecdotal evidence of efficacy. Another way to put it is that the usefulness of hydroxychloroquine remains a topic of open discussion and debate. Twitter has decided that discussion and debate should not be happening, and is punishing anyone (even a news organization covering a third-party press conference), who in any way airs that discussion and debate. That is not Twitter’s “job.” And, in the end, it may be that Twitter is the one that has, by censorship and omission, effectively “spread” misleading and potentially harmful information related to COVID-19. Are you an insider at Google, Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, or any other company who wants to confidentially blow the whistle on wrongdoing or political bias? Reach out to Allum Bokhari at allumbokhari@protonmail.com. Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent at Breitbart News. His book #DELETED: Big Tech’s Battle to Erase the Trump Movement and Steal The Election is out in September. 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 Hundreds of private renters in England in receipt of benefits are still struggling to secure accommodation despite a landmark ruling saying that landlords are not allowed to discriminate against this group. A disabled single mother who became homeless after being refused the chance to move into a private rented property because she was on benefits won the landmark court case last month. It was the first time a court has ruled that the so-called “no DSS” [Department for Social Security] rule operated by many private landlords – thought to have prevented hundreds of thousands of people from renting homes over the years – breached equality laws. The rule is a reference to the practice used by some landlords to describe the vetting of a class of tenants they regard as unsuitable. The case was brought by the housing charity Shelter. Polly Neate, the chief executive of Shelter, welcomed the court ruling when it was made, but she told the Guardian that hundreds of people had contacted the housing charity since the ruling raising concerns about the DSS issue. Neate said: “Hundreds of people have since contacted our services with similar stories and we are still hearing of letting agents and private landlords ignoring the judgment.” Iffat Saif, a lawyer, who with her husband and two children is in receipt of housing benefit following a recent grant of leave to remain in the UK after fleeing persecution in Pakistan, said she had called 57 landlords and letting agents since the ruling. All either turned her down when she mentioned the word “DSS” or told her she needed to provide a guarantor who would guarantee the tenancy for £50,000. “We want to work hard here but we have only recently got our leave to remain in the UK and it will take time for us to sort ourselves out,” she said. After leaving Home Office accommodation in Southall, west London, that was infested with rats and cockroaches the family has moved into an emergency hostel for homeless people where the family of four are crowded into one room. “I’m so worried about the risk of infection for my children in this place. Large numbers of people are sharing the same bathrooms and toilets and we are very overcrowded in one room. The council told us we should contact landlords and letting agents ourselves to try to find accommodation. I called 57 landlords and when I told them we are DSS they all said no.” She said the landlords did not seem to be aware of the recent court ruling outlawing discrimination against DSS tenants. Saif eventually found a guarantor, a contact in the UK she made while working as a lawyer in Pakistan. “A landlord has finally agreed to rent a property to us so we can at last leave the emergency hostel. But many people in receipt of DSS support do not have access to a guarantor who can offer to support them with £50,000.” Neate said: “The recent court judgment was an incredibly important step forward, but Shelter has been fighting ‘No DSS’ for nearly two years and will continue to do so until these discriminatory practices are stamped out for good. All landlords and letting agents should know that if they keep acting unlawfully, they could face legal action and hefty fines.” Jon Hardy, a Bristol member of Acorn, a community-based union of tenants, workers and residents, said: “While it’s welcome news that ‘No DSS’ tenancy bans have been declared unlawful in the recent landmark court ruling, it comes as no surprise to hear that some landlords are still refusing people who receive housing benefits. Everyone deserves a decent home and housing is a right, not an investment.” 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 President Donald Trump criticized America’s top billionaires on Saturday for massively increasing their net worth during the coronavirus pandemic. “I actually agree with this,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Too much income disparity. Changes must be made, and soon!” The president shared a Business Insider video showing the net worth of wealthy CEOs like Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, whose net worth rose by an estimated $48 billion from March to June. The video lists billionaires such as Zoom founder Eric Yuan boosting his net worth of $2.5 billion, while former Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer’s net worth increased by $15.7 billion, Casino magnate Shelden Adelson’s increased by $5 billion, and Elon Musk’s increased by $17.2 billion. This is the first time the president has indicated that a growing wealth disparity was a problem in the United States that needed to be fixed. The nine-minute video focuses on how the wealthy typically receive big financial profits during times of economic crisis and experience big tax cuts and breaks and store their money in offshore accounts. I actually agree with this. Too much income disparity. Changes must be made, and soon! https://t.co/YZx6gPDTMb — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 1, 2020 The video also proposes forming a Pandemic Profiteering Oversight Committee, more regulations to keep billionaires from offshoring their profits, including an emergency ten percent millionaire income surtax, a wealth tax, a progressive estate tax, and dramatic federal spending on charities. 

  Published Date: 2020-08-02 

 Twitter has once again acted as judge, juro, and executioner. For four days, Twitter prevented the @BreitbartNews twitter account from posting, only restoring its permissions earlier today. This is in no small part because Twitter dragged its feet on Breitbart News’s appeal Twitter initially locked Breitbart News’s account because it posted a video of a press conference featuring Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) and licensed doctors sharing their views and opinions on coronavirus and the medical response to the pandemic. The event was held by the organization America’s Frontline Doctors and organized by the Tea Party Patriots. In short, Twitter has punished a news organization for posting a video of a live-streaming of a press conference held by a congressman and licensed medical doctors. At the event, some of the doctors shared their opinion on hydroxychloroquine, highlighting it as a potentially helpful treatment in fighting COVID-19. One doctor called it a “cure.” Because Breitbart News’s Twitter account carried a video livestream of their comments, Twitter accused Breitbart of “spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to COVID-19.” As an aside, Breitbart News is a news company, not a licensed medical professional and has no editorial position on the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19. But for Twitter (which is also not a licensed medical professional) to assert the video contained potentially harmful information rings hollow. Hydroxychloroquine is not Tide Pods; it’s not something people can simply go down to the local drugstore, buy, and ingest without medical advice and supervision. In the United States, hydroxychloroquine is a legal, FDA approved medication available only by prescription; so a person would have to go to their doctor and get it prescribed after making a decision with their own doctor whether or not to take hydroxychloroquine. And, whether Twitter likes it or not, or thinks it should be otherwise, doctors are prescribing hydroxychloroquine on an off-label basis for COVID-19. Twitter trying to pretend it is not happening or wishing it was not happening is self-sophistry. Twitter has demanded that Breitbart News delete the following tweets before restoring access to the account. Breitbart appealed that decision, and pending appeal has been locked out of its account. Incredibly, Twitter took almost three full days to reply to Breitbart’s appeal – meaning time and traffic lost during a fast-moving election season. When Twitter finally did respond, it denied the appeal. Twitter then demanded that Breitbart News delete the following tweets before restoring access to the account and that Breitbart serve a 12-hour “time out” — meaning even more time and traffic lost during a fast-moving election season. (Update: Twitter has unrestricted Breitbart News’ Twitter account.) Twitter’s actions have public health implications. The tech giant is preventing the public, including the critically ill, from receiving information from physicians with first-hand experience treating COVID-19 patients. Twitter’s censorship denies the public access to information — and that can put lives, health, and the well-being of Americans at risk. Hydroxychloroquine is a commonly prescribed drug that has been approved for use in the United States since the 1950s and is widely prescribed to treat malaria. The effectiveness of the drug as a treatment for COVID-19 is still the subject of discussion and debate among medical professionals. Harvey A. Risch, a professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, has argued in Newsweek that “tens of thousands of patients with COVID-19 are dying unnecessarily” because use of the drug has become so politicized. A media panic broke out after President Trump referenced reports that the drug might be effective in treating COVID-19, leading to the drug briefly being banned in Ohio. That ban has now been reversed by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy. The panic even extended to The Lancet, one of the oldest and perhaps the most prestigious medical journals in the world. A study, widely covered by the corporate media, claiming hydroxychloroquine is ineffective and potentially dangerous, had to be retracted by the journal after major discrepancies were found in the study’s data. Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-TX), who recently contracted COVID-19, announced yesterday that he would be taking the drug to treat the illness following advice from his doctor. I am taking #Hydroxychloroquine to treat my coronavirus diagnosis. It is what was decided as the best course of action between my doctor and me–not by government bureaucrats. How long until the tech tyrants censor this tweet? https://t.co/dzAYAXiQ8p — Louie Gohmert (@replouiegohmert) July 31, 2020 Here is where things stand: There is no definitive medical study that answers the question of hydroxychloroquine’s usefulness in treating COVID-19, especially when used in conjunction with other medications. Many licensed professionals have reportedly treated COVID-19 patients with it, and some have reported at least anecdotal evidence of efficacy. Another way to put it is that the usefulness of hydroxychloroquine remains a topic of open discussion and debate. Twitter has decided that discussion and debate should not be happening, and is punishing anyone (even a news organization covering a third-party press conference), who in any way airs that discussion and debate. That is not Twitter’s “job.” And, in the end, it may be that Twitter is the one that has, by censorship and omission, effectively “spread” misleading and potentially harmful information related to COVID-19. Are you an insider at Google, Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, or any other company who wants to confidentially blow the whistle on wrongdoing or political bias? Reach out to Allum Bokhari at allumbokhari@protonmail.com. Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent at Breitbart News. His book #DELETED: Big Tech’s Battle to Erase the Trump Movement and Steal The Election is out in September.