Good morning,
The Queen
It has now been revealed the Queen spent a night in hospital Wednesday Night for a series of tests, as she cancelled a scheduled trip to N Ireland.
She was home, back to Windsor Castle Thursday at noon, but little information has been given on what she is being tested for. Queen Elizabeth is 95 years old and this week was also seen using a walking stick which she has not done before.
Movie Set Fatal Shooting
Alec Baldwin has not been charged by police, but he has been identified by police as accidentally discharging a firearm on a movie set in New Mexico killing a 42 yr old woman and wounding another man.
The movie is a 19th Century film called Rust. And the weapon was loaded with blanks. Alec Baldwin is the co producer of the film.
Bannon Contempt
The U.S. House has found Trump advisor Steve Bannon in legal contempt for refusing to appear at hearings looking into the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. It sets up months of fighting ahead, largely divided along political lines.
Trump wrote before the vote “the insurrection took place on Nov. 3, Election Day,” Mr. Trump wrote. “Jan. 6 was the protest!” as he continues to deny the vote was legal, and is thought to have incited the riot.
Bannon seemed to have advance knowledge of the protest turning violent. Bannon’s contempt finding now goes to the Attorney General for review.
Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming, pleaded with her fellow Republicans to stop following Trump down a path that she warned would lead to ruin.
“There’s a moment when politics must stop if we want to defend and protect our institutions,” said Ms. Cheney, the vice chairwoman of the select committee. “A violent assault on the Capitol to stop a constitutional process of counting electoral votes is that moment.”
Murder Charges in British MP Attack
On this Back Story podcast, the murder of British Member of Parliament David Amess, who was stabbed to death while meeting local constituents in a local church.
The man, now charged with murder, has connections to islamic extremism and is being investigated by anti terror police for more planned attacks.
How much of this murder is linked to angry public discourse on the internet and elsewhere?
It is the second murder of a British MP in five years.
Host Dana Lewis and guest commentator Jo Phillips discuss the killing and the angry political atmosphere that has shaken the British political establishment.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1016881/9408142
Covid Cases Climbing
Covid booster jabs are being recommended now by a U.S. panel advising the FDA for people over 65 but it stopped short of recommending boosters for those over 16.
Why? Dr Monica Gandhi, an infectious diseases physician and professor at the University of California San Francisco, said she was not convinced by the immunology research.
"Antibodies do come down over time, but [the human body] has the blueprint to make more," she said.
In the UK, Covid cases are now jumping daily setting off alarm bells as hospitalizations rise. Thursday there were 52 thousand new cases and the Government is considering bring booster shots forward from 6 months to 5 months after the second vaccine dose was given.
In Russia a week long long down will take place as daily deaths reach over 1000. But in Russia’s case the discussion is not the booster, but the fact the vaccine rates are low because many were skeptical of the Sputnik vaccine.
Polling in Russia show 2/3rd’s of Russian refusing to get vaccinated.
At a minimum as cases of Covid rise everywhere in winter, you have to return to mask wearing and think again about mixing indoors where ventilation is not good.
Stay safe and have a good weekend everyone.
Dana
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/21/entertainment/rust-film-accident/index.html
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59004426
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/21/us/politics/bannon-contempt-jan-6-subpoena.html
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2021/10/21/amid-coronavirus-surges-and-new-lockdowns-some-russians-shrug-a75364