NewsFix: Wednesday September 15, 2021
Morning all,
California expresses confidence in Newsom, a fired prosecutor is confident about evidence, Minaj confidently backs her vaccine comments… but does the Dáil have confidence in Coveney?
Until tomorrow,
Hilary
WHAT’S GOING ON?
California governor Gavin Newsom will remain in position, after a recall vote failed to oust him from office. How close was the election? The Guardian said he “easily” won, while NBC News said he “cruised into victory”.
Some reports suggest Caitlyn Jenner received 1.2% of the vote, but some votes still need to be counted.
- North Korea has allegedly fired two ballistic missiles off its east coast, according to South Korea. As BBC News notes, it is the “second weapons test North Korea has carried out this week, with the first being a cruise missile”.
ON TODAY’S AGENDA
Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, faces a vote of no confidence this evening. Why? Sinn Féin has accused Coveney of cronyism, over how Katherine Zappone was appointed a UN Special Envoy role earlier this year.
How is the vote expected to go? Coveney and the coalition government are expected to win tonight’s vote. The Taoiseach has already told his party - Fianna Fáil - that any TD who votes against Coveney will face a six-month suspension.
NEW ON NETFLIX
A new Michael Schumacher documentary releases on Netflix today, which includes interviews with the former F1 driver’s family.
Remember:
Schumacher suffered a “traumatic brain injury” whilst skiing in 2013. He was subsequently in hospital for 254 days - returning home in September 2014 - but has not been seen in public since, and updates about his condition have been very rare.
Does the documentary shed any light on his current condition? It doesn’t appear to. The Telegraph review gave it 1/5, with its primary criticism being the lack of coverage of the accident.
“If the officially sanctioned Michael Schumacher documentary refuses to shed even a sliver of light on the situation, it leaves the viewer mulling two uncomfortable questions. One: why on earth not? And two: with such a glaring, disingenuous omission, what purpose does the film’s existence serve?” - Review in The Telegraph
PIN DROP - WHAT’S GOING ON IN HAITI?
Haiti’s top prosecutor has been fired after he sought to bring charges against the country’s prime minister over the assassination of President Moise.
Remember:
In July, President Jovenel Moise was assassinated at his home in the middle of the night.
In his role as top prosecutor, Bed-Ford Claude cited evidence that on the night of the murder a key suspect rang Ariel Henry, the country’s current prime minister. According to CNN, Claude had been discussing possible charges with a judge, and had instructed authorities not to let Henry leave the country, in the hours before he was fired.
MOST READ
- BBC News: Hospital Covid cases may see big jump, say experts
- The Guardian: Bring in measures soon or risk 7,000 daily Covid hospitalisations, Sage warns
- The Financial Times: Investment banks accelerate efforts to automate junior ‘grunt work’
- Al Jazeera: US general called China over fears Trump could order war: report
- The Irish Times:Grand Designs’ Kevin McLoud: ‘I’m proud but poor. I invested a vast amount in that business’
TWITTER TRENDS
US rapper Nicki Minaj went completely viral Tuesday, following comments made about the vaccine.
It started with Minaj saying the Met Gala required guests to be vaccinated.
“If I get vaccinated it won’t for the Met. It’ll be once I feel I’ve done enough research. I’m working on that now.” - Minaj
In a later tweet, Minaj said a cousin’s friend became impotent after receiving the vaccine - comments that were widely shared and quickly criticised by health experts, including Chris Whitty.
Making the story even more random, Minaj went on to call the BBC’s Laura Kuenssburg “dumbo,” claimed she didn’t know Piers Morgan, and uploaded an audio clip of her speaking in a fake British accent.
Favourite tweet on the matter?
TODAY MARKS…
Prince Harry’s 37th birthday.
ON A LIGHTER NOTE…
“Stop using me for likes.”
A post shared by @pubity