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‘Bamboozled’ Boris Johnson struggled to understand COVID-19 stats, UK inquiry hears

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 21:01:51 GMT

LONDON — Scientists faced a “real struggle” in trying to get Boris Johnson to understand key terms and statistics relating to coronavirus, Britain’s COVID-19 pandemic inquiry has been told.Extracts from the contemporary diary of Patrick Vallance — the government’s chief scientific adviser during the pandemic — claim that on several occasions Johnson, then the prime minister, was confused and “bamboozled” when engaged in conversations about the virus.“Watching PM get his head around stats is awful,” one extract from Vallance’s diary, dated June 11 2020 and read out at the inquiry Monday, reads. “He finds relative and absolute risk almost impossible to understand.”Johnson was “taken through the graphs but it was a real struggle to get him to understand them,” another entry from February 2021 reads. A third, from May 2020, said Johnson was “clearly bamboozled” by what Vallance described as a “comp...

What’s Matt Eberflus’ job status now? Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts after the Chicago Bears’ disastrous Week 11 loss.

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 21:01:51 GMT

This one hits differently.The Chicago Bears have blown fourth-quarter leads under coach Matt Eberflus before. They had a doozy of a meltdown seven weeks ago when they led Denver 28-7 with a little more than 15 minutes to play at Soldier Field. The Broncos scored the final 24 points to escape with a victory.The Broncos are middle of the pack, at best. The NFC North-rival Detroit Lions represent something the Bears want to become — a young and rugged team with swagger, physical players on both sides of the line and a knack for closing out ballgames.This is the kind of game Eberflus and his coaching staff needed in the worst way. More than halfway through their second season, the group can’t point to a signature win.Improvements have been made — and the Bears are showing some strides — but progress that matters comes in the form of victories and getting one here against the NFC North-leading Lions would have been progress for Eberflus. Leading 26-14 after Cairo ...

Calvert Hall and Loyola Blakefield football meet in 103rd Turkey Bowl looking for redemption

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 21:01:51 GMT

This isn’t the season Calvert Hall’s Emilie Dore anticipated. Coming off back-to-back trips to the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association A Conference championship game, his Cardinals have endured a spate of injuries, a brutal schedule and some poor luck in winning just four games.To Dore, however, win No. 5 would change everything.In Thursday’s 103rd Turkey Bowl, set for 10 a.m. at Towson University’s Johnny Unitas Stadium, Calvert Hall can salvage its season in its annual Thanksgiving Day game against No. 5 Loyola Blakefield in one of the nation’s longest-running Catholic prep school rivalries.“I told my guys, ‘This game is our redemption for the season,’” Dore said. “It hasn’t been the ideal year for us, but we’ve got a chance to offset all that. Go out with a win and be remembered as the 2023 Turkey Bowl champs.”Calvert Hall (4-6) entered this fall ranked No. 4 in the area by The Baltimore Sun b...

For Chris Davis, retirement from Orioles has meant more time to give back

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 21:01:51 GMT

Before his first public appearance at Camden Yards since he retired, Chris Davis wasn’t nervous, but the longtime Orioles first baseman recognized he could have reason to be.In Baltimore, Davis was a two-time home run champion and a key figure in the franchise’s most successful run in decades, but soon after he signed a club-record contract, both he and the Orioles plummeted. When a hip injury ended Davis’ career in 2021, fans were left with mixed feelings about his tenure.But when he returned to Camden Yards in September as one of the former players who attended Adam Jones’ retirement ceremony, Davis received one of the largest ovations from the sellout crowd.“I was like, ‘It’s gonna be interesting to see the reception that I get,’ and I was extremely, extremely pleased and moved,” Davis said. “I know that there were some tough years in Baltimore, but there were also a lot of great memories that I have from my time, and no...

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ‘bamboozled’ by science, ex-adviser tells inquiry

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 21:01:51 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Boris Johnson, the former British prime minister, struggled to come to grips with much of the science during the coronavirus pandemic, his chief scientific advisor said Monday.In keenly awaited testimony to the country’s public inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic, Patrick Vallance said he and others faced repeated problems getting Johnson to understand the science. “I think I’m right in saying that the prime minister gave up science at 15,” he said. “I think he’d be the first to admit it wasn’t his forte and that he struggled with the concepts and we did need to repeat them — often.”In extracts from his diary that were relayed to the inquiry, Vallance said Johnson was “bamboozled” by the graphs and data and that watching him “get his head round stats is awful.”Vallance said Johnson’s struggles were not unique and said many leaders around Europe had problems in understanding the scientific evidence and advice, especially in the first stages of the pande...

Is the Canadian dream still attainable?

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 21:01:51 GMT

In today’s Big Story Podcast, every year, hundreds of thousands of immigrants come to Canada, looking for a better future for themselves and their children. The federal government is aiming to keep that number rising — but it’s a tough time to be a new Canadian, with affordability and housing crises, an uncertain future and rising numbers of hate crimes.Rhea Santos is a journalist with OMNI News Filipino. She says the poll indicates that immigrants are generally happy with their decision to move here, but that many also perceive major barriers to success.“We have eight in 10 feeling safe and proud to live here, but only half agree that Canada has enough jobs to support immigrants,” says Santos. Related: Affordability crisis putting Canadian dream at risk: poll So what did recent Canadian immigrants expect when they moved to Canada, and what did they actually get? Do they feel the dream they came here chasing is still within reach? Or do they regret their deci...

Russia puts Ukrainian winner of Eurovision Song Contest on wanted list

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 21:01:51 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia has placed a Ukrainian singer who won the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest on its wanted list, state news agencies reported Monday.The reports said an Interior Ministry database listed singer Susana Jamaladinova as being sought for violating a criminal law. The independent news site Mediazona, which covers opposition and human rights issues, said Jamaladinova was charged under a law adopted last year that bans spreading so-called fake information about the Russian military and the ongoing fighting in Ukraine. Jamaladinova, who performs under the stage name Jamala, is of Crimean Tatar descent. She won the 2016 Eurovision contest with the song “1944,” a title that refers to the year the Soviet Union deported Crimean Tatars en masse.Her winning performance came almost exactly two years after Russia annexed Crimea as political turmoil gripped Ukraine. Most other countries regard the annexation as illegitimate. Russia protested “1944” being allowed in the competition, sa...

A cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe is suspected of killing more than 150 and is leaving many terrified

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 21:01:51 GMT

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — These days, Catherine Mangosho locks her 3-year-old grandson in the house for hours on end in an attempt to shield him from a deadly cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe.The virulent bacterial disease is killing the young and the old in the southern African country, with health authorities reporting more than 150 suspected deaths and over 8,000 suspected cases since February.Cholera has often broken out across Zimbabwe in recent years with deadly consequences and has surged and spread again over the last month, driven by the sometimes terrible sanitation conditions in poor, neglected townships and neighborhoods in the capital, Harare, and elsewhere.Many like Mangosho, 50, fear their family might be next.She points to a group of barefoot children playing street soccer near her house. The ball made from plastic bread wrappers frequently plunges into ponds of sewage. The children pick it out and continue their game.“Those boys are playing with fire,” she said. “We burie...

Women make up more than half of ministers in the new Cabinet of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 21:01:51 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Women will hold 12 of the 22 posts in the new government named Monday by Spain’s recently reelected Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.“The new government is going to have a marked feminist accent with four women deputy prime ministers and more female ministers than male ministers,” Sánchez said. The Cabinet will include nine new ministers while key posts remain unchanged. Nadia Calviño keeps the economy portfolio, José Manuel Albares remains in charge of foreign affairs and Margarita Robles stays at defense. Sánchez’s Socialist party will hold 17 ministries and its leftist Sumar (Joining Forces) coalition partner will have five portfolios. The outgoing government’s former far-left coalition partner, Unidas Podemos (Unite We Can), will have no ministries. The party’s former star, Equality Minister Irene Montero, will be replaced by Ana Redondo of the Socialist party.Sánchez was reelected prime minister on Thursday with backing from 179 lawmakers in Spai...

Emergency crews on scene of crash involving truck, freight train in Back of the Yards

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 21:01:51 GMT

CHICAGO — Emergency crews are responding to a crash involving a semi-truck and a freight train on the city's Southwest Side.The incident happened just before 7 a.m. Monday at a freight yard at 51st Street and Lowe Avenue in the Back of Yards neighborhood.Skycam9 captured a major response on scene from the Chicago Fire Department. The extent of injuries is unknown at this time.No further details have been provided.This is a developing story. Check back for details.