NewsFix: Tuesday September 14, 2021

NewsFix -

Morning all,

A sea of change in Norway, a splash of colour for Afghan women, and a wonder if the tide can turn for GB News?

Until tomorrow,

Hilary

MONDAY’S MAIN LINES

  • Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s mother, Charlotte Johnson Wahl, died “suddenly but peacefully” at the age of 79. She was married to Stanley Johnson between 1963 and 1979, and the pair had four children together. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at the age of 40.

  • Norway’s left-wing opposition won the general election in a landslide, according to preliminary results. There are multiple reports that Erna Solberg - who led the country for eight years - has conceded the election.

    Interesting content: As The Financial Times reported, this now means “all five Nordic nations will have a leftwing leader for the first time in 62 years”.

    What was the main election issue? The future of the oil industry. Norway is Europe’s biggest oil and gas producer, but there have been calls for change.

    “The oil sector accounts for 14 percent of Norway’s gross domestic product, as well as 40 percent of its exports and employs 160,000 people directly. It has also helped the country of 5.4 million people amass the world’s biggest sovereign wealth fund, today worth close to 12 trillion kroner ($1.4 trillion).” - helpful context from Al Jazeera

ON TODAY’S AGENDA…

There will be a recall election in California today, deciding the fate of the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom.

What does this mean? Since 1911, voters in the state of California have been able to ‘recall’ their governor during their tenure if they are not satisfied with their leadership. If at least 1.5 million votes are obtained, there is a vote on the governor - which is what happens later today.

Worth noting: While there have been attempts to recall every governor over the last 60 years, this is only the second time enough votes have been reached for there to actually be a vote. The last time led to actor Arnold Schwarzenegger becoming governor.

The vote: There are two questions on the ballot today - should Newsom be recalled, and if so, who should succeed him? Most media reports suggest Newsom is expected to win the vote and remain in office.

Candidates:

There are 46 people on the ballot, including Caitlyn Jenner, who is “not expected to fare well”. A controversial radio host called Larry Elder, who has no political experience, is the leading contender against Newsom. Elder - who is Black - said it is slaveowners who should receive reparations, also stating Black people “exaggerate racism”.

“Democrats control the 50-50 Senate by only the narrowest of margins, needing Vice President Harris to break ties. The California governor has the power to appoint a U.S. senator should there be a vacancy, Newsom or his replacement would serve until January 2023, and Sen. Dianne Feinstein would be approaching 90 at that point” - Excellent context from NPR, explaining why this recall is so important

COVERING THE COVERAGE

Andrew Neil has resigned from his positions as Chairman and Lead Presenter of GB News, just three months after the network began.

“I am sorry to go but I have concluded it’s time to reduce my commitments on a number of fronts. Over the summer I’ve had time to reflect on my extensive portfolio of interests and decided it was time to cut back.” - Andrew Neil’s statement

Three senior producers left GB News last week, and anchor Simon McCoy, also formerly of the BBC, is reported to be “openly unhappy”. The channel’s increasingly populist agenda is said to be polarising the newsroom, according to an article in The Times.

MET GALA MOMENTS

Like every year, the Met Gala - the outfits, the drama, the celebrities and the moments - are widely dissected and discussed. This year was no different.

Here is a list of Harper’s Bazaar’s best dressed.

Kim Kardashian has probably been the most talked about attendee so far online. As one Twitter user wrote, “tell me you might be getting back with Kanye, without telling me you might be getting back with Kanye”.

Here is a link to Vogue’s Youtube account, where a number of interviews have been uploaded.

DRESS TO PROTEST

While the Met Gala might dominate the fashion headlines, a growing trend of Afghan women proudly showing off their colourful dress is making waves online.

The photos uploaded to social media are in response to the Taliban’s rules, enforcing women to wear a black hijab.

MOST READ

PANDEMIC

The UK’s chief medical officers (CMOs) have recommended that children aged between 12-15 are offered one dose of a Covid vaccine - helping to reduce disruption to education. It will now be up to ministers of the four UK nations whether to implement the CMOs advice.

The CMOs recommendation comes after the government's vaccine committee stated on September 3rd that there is not enough benefit for children to be vaccinated on health grounds alone. Some have argued this has caused confusion.

EYES PEELED 👀

Narcos has released the trailer for season 3, coming to Netflix on November 5.

Me waiting until then;

ON A LOVELY NOTE…

Amy Winifred Hawkins, the oldest woman in Wales, died on Monday at the age of 110. Hawkins became a much loved TikTok star earlier this year, after her rendition of ‘It’s A Long Way to Tipperary’ (below) went viral.