Daily Archives: July 7, 2021

The Prime Minister explained the continuing progress of the vaccination roll-out and its impact on the worst effects of the pandemic, and said the country had come to a point where it must balance the risks of COVID-19 with those of continuing legal restrictions, which took an inevitable toll on the physical and financial health of the UK.

If we cant reopen our society in the next few weeks when we will be helped by the arrival of summer and by the school holiday then when will be able to return to normal? he said.

The alternatives to a summer reopening, Johnson said, was to do so in winter when the virus would spread more easily and the NHS would already under pressure or else not to do so this year.

In choosing a summer reopening, the Prime Minister set out how England would now move toward living with COVID-19 in its midst, albeit with protections in place, and said he would allow people to make their own informed decisions about how to manage the virus.

However, his strategy comes with significant risk, according to the Governments own SAGE advisory group, which published a document ahead of the press conference calling for keeping some level of measures in place throughout the summer to decrease transmission of the virus.

At the press conference, Sir Patrick Vallance, the Government's chief scientific adviser, presented data showing that new cases of the virus had risen to a daily average of 25,000, mostly among young people but increasingly in older demographics, too. There has been a smaller accompanying rise in hospitalisations and deaths both of which are expected to increase as daily cases rise to a projected level of 100,000.

The Governments message on mask-wearing has pivoted from a position of enforcement to personal choice at a stroke.

Johnson said that, although the Government would end the legal obligation to wear face coverings, guidance will suggest where you might choose to do so including on crowded public transport.

Both Vallance and England's chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, set out circumstances in which they would wear masks, which included a crowded indoor place, if they were asked by an authority to do so or if someone else was uncomfortable with them not wearing one.

But is a public that has largely complied with unprecedented state interventions in how they live their lives for more than a year ready to absorb a more nuanced arguably more ambiguous message on how to manage COVID-19?

The Prime Minister said there was a big difference between travelling on a packed Tube in the rush hour and a taking a journey late at night on a near-empty mainline train.

Pressed by some journalists at the press conference as to whether his message to the public on masks was reckless, Johnson insisted that he wanted people to exercise their personal responsibility, but remember the value of face coverings in protecting themselves and others.

The planned full reopening and the end of restrictions in England is being billed as Freedom Day, but these freedoms could come with a high cost.

Now, comms professionals from a range of backgrounds assess the Governments step-change in public health messaging and how that will play out.

At a moment where hospitalisation and transmission rates are on the rise and the vaccines programme still needs our active participation, I think the Government is delivering a message that seems to jar with the previous commitment to be guided by data not dates. The change in leadership of the health ministry offered a moment to strengthen that message and recommit to being evidence-led, clear and united in our support for those at highest risk while we keep a careful eye on variants. Instead, we hear about the invented concept of Freedom Day, which positions the so-called restrictions as somehow taking away our individual rights.

What if, instead of taking about 'restrictions' and 'freedom', we talked about how we made a series of common-sense adjustments to a very uncommon and dangerous threat to public health? The positioning of public health behaviour change is important; showing people the positive results of their life-preserving actions distancing where possible, opening windows, wearing a mask instead of focusing on a polarised 'freedom versus restriction' narrative would feel a lot more genuine.

Ironically, the most important message in that press conference was the one that was underplayed and underused the reason why we shouldnt wait until autumn is that any exit wave would then be pushed into the time of the year when the NHS is most vulnerable. By unlocking over the summer, any rise in hospitalisations becomes significantly more manageable. This is the message the Government should push the hardest because its the scientific one, not the political one. It takes the anger out of the debate and appeals to the logical majority.

As we move into what we hope will be the final stage of COVID-19, the Government faces arguably its trickiest communications challenge to date. After months of legally enforceable dos and donts, we are moving into a phase where choice and personal responsibility will become the norm. We are being asked to determine not only what level of risk we personally are comfortable with, but to consider others when making our decisions.

Face masks are one example of a potentially divisive behaviour, with even scientists and medics not necessarily in total agreement. Government messaging will need to reflect this, emphasising individual choice but reminding people to consider and respect the choices of others, whose circumstances and appetite for risk may be different. So far the messaging from government has been all about learning to live with COVID-19. Just as important might be learning to live with other people and COVID-19.

Lifting the remaining restrictions is a gamble and thats why the Government needs to be clear with the public on when and where they are advised to continue to wear masks. It may not be a legal requirement, but individual behaviour on mask-wearing will continue to play a big part in keeping the virus under control. Weve seen how a lack of clarity in government communications has confused the public in the past. We cannot allow that to happen again and we will need clear messaging from the Government on this ahead of the 19 July milestone.

I remember working with the Government and the amazing work Department for Transport did in relation to seat belts. The insight used to inform the marketing campaign and behaviour change was focused on not living with the guilt of killing your loved one in the front seat.The Government has access to the best comms and behaviour change specialists in the world. Ill certainly be thinking about wearing a mask to protect the people I love.

Given the level of anti-masking at one extreme and anxiety at the other, its an abrogation of responsibility for the Government to leave people to make their own decisions. Why should an anxious person have to ask an anti-masker to put a mask on in a crowded public space? Why should an employee at a bar or on a bus have to take the lead with customers who may be sceptical? Coming out of lockdown requires clear guidance and communication from the Government and we didnt get that on Monday.

Today, we are all talking about the restrictions and what happens next including, sadly, the polarising mask debate. Only time will tell whether this is the right health strategy. But, as of yesterday, there had been almost 1,000 mentions of Freedom Day across national TV our most trusted media suggesting that our main outlets have accepted the change and well trust that information.

But the question now comes how will brands communicate their policy on this in this new common sense world? Supermarkets are already dealing with increased issues in stores and this is likely to rise unless they are on the front foot talking to the public in media they trust.

Click here to subscribe to the FREE public sector bulletinto receive dedicated public sector news, features and comment straight to your inbox.

Make sure youregister for the siteto access more than one story per month.

To submit a news, comment, case study or analysis idea for the public sector bulletin, emailIan.Griggs@haymarket.com

Read more from the original source:

Will people pivot from 'diktat to discretion' on 'Freedom Day' with the Government's message on masks? - PR Week

In 2012, Mount & Blade: Warband Napoleonic Wars developer Flying Squirrel Entertainment announced that it was on a new project based on the US Civil War called Battle Cry of Freedom. It sounded like an extremely ambitious undertaking, with large 5x5 km maps, historically accurate weapons and uniforms, fully destructible environments, and support for 500-player (!) online battlesall of which may help explain why it took nearly a decade for it to finally appear on Steam.

Note that it isn't actually on sale yet, nor does it even have a release date: The listing is there strictly so followers can "wishlist the game and follow the page to be notified whenever there is new info available." But the fact that it's there at all is noteworthy in its own right. Flying Squirrel has been posting fairly regular developer blogs on its website since 2012, but the rollout of the Steam page is the game's biggest and most public step forward since it was announced.

Battle Cry of Freedom still sounds much like it did in 2012, with multiple weapon and ammunition types, realistic projectile physics, and an array of roles for players ranging from basic infantry to engineer, surgeon, and even musician: You can become a fifer, drummer, or bugler and play "historically accurate tunes," if that's how you want to roll. It's not meant to be a detailed military simulation, however: The FAQ describes it as "a mix between Mount & Blade and the Total War series," saying that it aims to combine "a realistic and skill-based combat system with the huge size and tactics of epic warfare."

The promised 500-player battles are out, though: Instead, the Steam page says that up to 300 people will be able to go head-to-head "in a completely destructible and realistic Civil War combat environment," which will still make for some pretty beefy conflicts.

Battle Cry of Freedom is currently expected to be out sometime in 2022, and while you wait for that to (hopefully) happen, you can find out more about the game at fsegames.eu.

Read the original:

Nearly a decade after it was announced, Battle Cry of Freedom appears on Steam - PC Gamer

Black progressive lawmakers on Sunday questioned the inclusivity of the freedoms celebrated on Independence Day as the White House prepared for an evening of traditional festivities.

As Biden's White House readied fireworks and burgers for America's annual celebration of nationhood, progressives expressed their views on what the Fourth of July means from the Black American perspective.

"When they say that the 4th of July is about American freedom, remember this: the freedom they're referring to is for white people. This land is stolen land and Black people still aren't free," tweeted Missouri Rep. Cori Bush.

On July 5, 1852, abolitionist Fredrick Douglass challenged the hypocrisy of the Declaration of Independence in a keynote address commemorating its signing.

"What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" he asked. "What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim."

California Rep. Maxine Waters, the House Financial Services Committee chair, echoed Douglass' sentiment on Sunday, tweeting, "July 4th... & so, the Declaration of Independence says all men are created equal. Equal to what? What men? Only white men? Isn't it something that they wrote this in 1776 when African Americans were enslaved? They weren't thinking about us then, but we're thinking about us now!"

This year, America moved to designate Juneteenth as a federal holiday, but for decades, many Black people have been celebrating their day of freedom on June 19which commemorates the emancipation of African American slaves.

In a searing op-ed for theGrio, Tour, an author and former MSNBC host, criticized the Fourth of July, arguing that it "wasn't Independence Day for Black people." He wrote that Juneteenth casts a "long shallow over Independence Day, making it look like a hypocrite and a damn fool."

"Independence for who?" Tour asked. "It wasn't independence for Black people, for our ancestors, so why would we celebrate the Fourth of July?"

He also cited the Pulitzer Prize-winning essay for the "1619 project" by Nikole Hannah-Jones, which noted that colonies sought to emancipate from Britian partly to protect the institution of slavery.

"America wanted to protect its cash cow and, even more, it was wealth derived from slavery that allowed the colonies to afford to pay for the War of Independence," Tour wrote. "The founding of this country is intertwined with slavery. Why would we celebrate that?"

Newsweek reached out to Cori Bush and Maxine Waters' office for further comment. This story will be updated with any response.

Read more here:

Progressive Lawmakers Call Fourth of July Freedom for Whites: Blacks 'Still Aren't Free' - Newsweek

Although the states new voucher-like Education Freedom Account (EFA) program makes a private-school education easier to afford for thousands of New Hampshire families, private schools could likely struggle to handle an onslaught of new students this fall.

Many private, parochial and religious schools are nearly brimming with students, whose parents turned to the schools for in-classroom instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also, private schools that recently expanded are grappling with labor challenges that bedevil most New Hampshire employers.

We have the students. We just need the teachers, said Wendy Hayes, director of the North End Montessori School in Manchester. The private school, which bills itself as the largest Montessori school in the state, is adding eight new classrooms and looking to hire as many as 16 new faculty.

This takes place as state education officials rush to write rules to specify how the Education Freedom Account program will work. Also, the state must contract with a company to run the program, which includes overseeing the electronic wallets of parents, where the education savings account money will end up.

The law requires the EFAs to be available for the coming school year.

Everyone must move as quickly as possible. The question is, can government move that quickly? said Kate Baker Demers, executive director of the Childrens Scholarship Fund. The organization operates the current program, which is funded through tax-credit supported donations.

Meanwhile, a veteran Democrat warns that the program could get bogged down, comparing it to food stamps.

"This will be a very complicated entitlement program," said state Rep. Tim Horrigan, D-Durham. "I think it's open to anything called an education expense, and processing transactions will be difficult.

And the state's largest teachers union said it is open to a court challenge of the program and is considering union drives at the private schools.

"Taking funds away from certified, qualified and financially transparent public schools and teachers to hand them over to unaccountable and untraceable private schools not only make our jobs harder, it is also fiscally irresponsible," said Megan Tuttle, president of NEA-New Hampshire, in a statement.

The EFAs were included in the budget rider bill, which contained many of the priorities of the Republican-dominated Legislature and was signed into law last month by Gov. Chris Sununu.

EFAs will be available to low-income and working-class parents who opt for home schools, private schools or out-of-district public schools. They will have access to the portion of their childs education funded by state dollars.

That amount could range anywhere from $3,800 to $8,400 depending on their childs situation, such as eligibility for free or reduced lunches, a special-education designation or English language learner.

The grants are limited to families with household incomes of 300% of the federal poverty level or less, which last year worked out to $78,600 for a family of four.

For families that couldnt find a Catholic education accessible, this will become a life changing opportunity, said Alison Mueller, director of enrollment for the 18 Diocese of Manchester schools.

Yet, the program comes as diocesan schools cope with a challenge they havent faced in years nearly full schools.

On opening day last year, diocesan schools enrolled 500 new students and had 200 on a waiting list. Most were children whose parents could not be at home LNAs, delivery drivers, first-responders, grocery store workers when public schools instituted remote learning, she said.

The 2020-21 school year was the first in 15 years that saw an enrollment increase. The diocese now counts 3,600 students in its schools.

I would say our schools are fuller than they were last year, but we do have space available, Mueller said. She said there are no plans to add classes to any schools for the coming year.

The average cost for Catholic school tuition is $6,300 for K-8 and $13,000 for high school.

Mueller said shes not sure how many new students the EFAs will draw. About 10% of diocesan students received funding through the Education Tax Credit program. And 40% receive some kind of tuition assistance from the diocese.

State law allows families to stack both the tax-credit grant and EFA, potentially doubling the amount available for a student.

The North End Montessori School currently has 168 students enrolled for toddlers through fourth grade. It is adding eight new classrooms, which will accommodate the pre-school program, Hayes said.

She expects the EFAs will draw in more students, which fits with the mission of Susan Bradley, who founded schools in Manchester and Bow.

Our mission of all our schools has always been to make Montessori education accessible to all our locations, hours and very accessible rates, Hayes said. The tuition at the school works out to about $8,400.

At the state level, Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut said education officials must write emergency rules and award a short-term, no-bid contract for the Childrens Scholarship Fund to run the voucher program.

He said a contract will eventually be put out to bid, but not enough time exists to do so before the school year begins.

Edelblut said he cant predict how many parents will opt for an EFA, but he doesnt expect an onslaught of new people clamoring for private schools, at least not initially.

Similar education savings account programs exist across the country and are available to 21 million students, he said. Only 1.3 million have taken advantage of them.

Most of the time, parents are satisfied with their public or charter schools, he said.

Were serving the students on the margin, Edelblut said about EFAs.

Demers looks to the tax credit program, which has been in effect since 2014, to get an idea of possible EFA participants:

200 of the 626 tax credit grants went to home schoolers.

22% of recipients were minority students.

65% received free or reduced lunches, and 16% were special education students.

Pre-pandemic, the most cited reasons for leaving the public schools were bullying, discrimination or children performing either below or above their grade level, Demers said.

As opportunities expand and parents become aware of the EFAs, more will likely take advantage of them, Edelblut said.

Under the law, public schools that lose a student will receive 150% of the state adequacy grant for the child the first year.

The adjustment amount drops steeply the second year, to 25% of the adequacy amount.

Meanwhile, a free-market advocacy group is planning a digital marketing campaign to encourage parents to consider EFAs.

This is a program we believe in pretty strongly, said Greg Moore, state director of Americans for Prosperity. A lot of people eligible for this have no idea it was in the state budget.

Both Moore and Edelblut believe that any court challenge to the program would fail.

In 2014, the New Hampshire Supreme Court dismissed a challenge to the existing tax-credit program. Then last year, the U.S. Supreme Court said a similar program in Montana could not exclude religious schools.

NOTE: an earlier version of this story neglected to include comments supplied by NEA-New Hampshire.

Link:

Education Freedom Accounts are the law, but is New Hampshire ready? - The Union Leader

The last Royal Caribbean cruise ship to get upgrades as part of the Royal Amplified program, and I got a chance to check out the changes firsthand.

Right before the cruise industry shutdown, Freedom of the Seas received a$116 million upgrade with new features and amenities.

Freedom had just one sailing with guests before everything shutdown, so most of the changes were not highlighted very much.

With Freedom of the Seas being the first cruise ship from Royal Caribbean to restart sailings in the United States, we have a chance to look at all the changes.

Whenever a cruise ship gets an upgrade, the pool deck always gets the most noticeable changes because of how prominent and popular these new offerings are.

Royal Caribbean added the Perfect Storm duo of high-speed water slides to the back of the ship.

Not only did the waterslides get added, but the entire pool deck was revamped with aresort-style Caribbean poolscape.

This concept was first rolled out on Navigator and Oasis of the Seas, and it updates the look and feel of the pool deck.

The Lime and Coconut is a major part of the pool deck,with a multi-deck lounge and bar scene to enjoy.

The H2O Zone was also replaced with Splashway Bay aquapark.

Boleros is not new to Freedom of the Seas, but the look has been updated.

Right next door is a massive Playmakers space, which where the old photo gallery area.

Having been to many Playmakers locations, this one is enormous, with ample seating, and likely more televisions than people.

There are also a lot of new dining venues on Freedom of the Seas, includingthe cruise lines first Giovannis Italian Kitchen,Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, andEl Loco Fresh.

Here are some other photos from around Freedom to enjoy.

Freedom of the Seas is offering3-night weekend and 4-night weekday summer cruises from Miami.

Excerpt from:

A look around the big changes on Freedom of the Seas - Royal Caribbean Blog

News Photo by Steve SchulwitzA beret hangs on a white cross at Little Flanders Field in Alpena on Friday. The cross in the cemetery honors a local hero who died while serving our country. On Sunday, our nation celebrates Independence Day and the freedoms made possible from our fallen heroes.

ALPENA The word freedom can mean many different things to people.

Freedom to some is defined as the principles listed in the Bill of Rights. For others it is an idea or wish that never fully holds up to its definition.

In Alpena, a person doesnt have to travel far to see an American flag waving from someones porch or proudly displayed at a business. Red, white, and blue merchandise is widely available at many stores year-round. It is not uncommon to see people wearing apparel with stars and stripes, showing their patriotism.

The News recently talked to residents about what freedom means to them and how it impacts their lives.

Trevor Tagallini, of Hubbard Lake, said freedom is taken for granted because Americans are born with it and know no other way of life without it. He said without the assurances granted to citizens of the United States, life for many would look a lot different.

There are a lot of people that take our freedom for granted, Tagallini said. Were pretty lucky when you think about it. Why do you think people want to come to America from other countries? Its because they dont have the freedoms and rights that we have.

When thinking about rights and freedom, some people think of the First Amendment and Second Amendment.

The First Amendment protects the freedoms of speech, press, religion, assembly, and the right to petition, while the Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms.

Mark Gross, of Alpena, said simple things like owning property, choosing your own partner to marry, the right to a fair trial, and being able to vote are rights that are often taken for granted.

I hear an awful lot of complaining about what we cant do or what we dont have, and very little about what we can do or do have, Gross said. People in other countries would never be able to get away with the crap we do. Is our system perfect? No its not. Are we lucky to have the rights we do have? Yes.

Not everyone agrees that citizens are as free as they believe. Mitch Templeton said peoples right to free speech is being violated daily, especially on social media, and other rights, such as the right to bear arms, are also under attack.

We are told how to behave at every level of our lives by our government and if we question things we are silenced or threatened, Templeton said. I thought a democracy gave everyone an even say in decisions. I think the people need to have more control over their own lives and the lives of their families. Government has too much power and is crooked. We arent free.

Joanne Swift said she is going to enjoy all of the events in Alpena to celebrate the Fourth of July and enjoy time with her family. She said during that time, her mind will also reflect on the men and women who sacrificed their lives to earn and preserve the freedom she now has.

Our independence didnt come without a cost, she said. Im always reminded of that on the Fourth, and every time I say the Pledge of Allegiance, or hear the National Anthem. I think, for the most part, most people do.

Tim Kuehnlein is an instructor of political science and history at Alpena Community College. He said freedom is cherished by Americans, but it also changes with the times.

Freedom, or liberty, is something Americans clearly hold dear. It is a moral imperative of the American creed, Kuehnlein said. Freedom is often illusive, in constant flux, and often with lots of pretense. Freedom is something we strive for in perpetual motion as we push its limits throughout the ages. For freedom to truly exist for anyone for any sustainable length of time requires that the parameters of freedom be respected by everyone relative to one another.

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

Read more from the original source:

Local residents reflect on what freedom means to them - Alpena News