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Each episode of #blackAF, Netflixs new comedy from Kenya Barris, gets introduced with rapper Jay Rocks Win.

You either with me or against me, blares Jay Rock, as a montage of black luminaries fills up the screen.

Im not against Barris per se, but I am certainly against the myopia of his latest project.

Season one of #blackAF begins streaming Friday on Netflix, one of the projects to come out of the $100 million deal Barris inked in 2018. It stars Barris as himself and Rashida Jones as his wife, Joya, in another comedy culled from Barris own life, this time dressed up in Curb Your Enthusiasm drag. (For the sake of clarity, from this point on, when I say Barris, Im referring to the real-life writer and creator of the show. Ill say Kenya to refer to the character in #blackAF.)

The show takes place in the Barris household, where Drea (Iman Benson), one of Kenya and Joyas six children, is filming a documentary about her family with the intention of including it in her application package to New York University film school.

Upon learning of her intentions, Kenya equips Drea with a studio, copious production equipment and a seven-person camera crew. Through eight episodes (Ive seen five), Drea captures her fathers various anxieties, which he claims stem from one place: slavery.

It becomes apparent that Barris has created a show with no real thesis or analysis, other than tangentially tying his own First World problems to structural racism with the worlds most tenuous spool of string. This is not to say that wealthy black people dont experience racism, because they do.

But Barris insists on branding his show about a narcissistic, malcontent father who obsesses about his blackness and the blackness of his family, as a show about blackness, when those two things arent actually the same. #blackAF isnt a show about blackness, its a show about one persons near-pathological need to keep up appearances. Its a conceit that has legs theres an entire genre of television farces built around that very thing, from Veep to Keeping Up Appearances to Jeeves and Wooster to Avenue 5.

#blackAF struggles to get beyond Barris penchant for self-aggrandizement, even though its supposedly filmed through the eyes of his documentarian daughter, which is how it fails where those other comedies succeed. Its a microgenre that requires an intense level of critical self-awareness, and thats the thing #blackAF lacks.

Take, for example, an episode in which Kenya and Joya cant stop wringing their hands about their 13-year-old dancing with her friends to a City Girls song and posting the video to social media. Joya goes on a didactic tangent about a real issue: the adultification of black girls and the problems that come with it. Joya even throws in a reference to Hottentot Venus. But the show is completely blinkered when it comes to the ways that class gives the Barris family a foot up, and thats where its self-aware shtick begins to fall apart.

As a black girl, you dont get looked at the same as these white girls who have purple hair, Kenya tells another daughter when he sees her at a music festival. It completely escapes him that the problems hes constantly obsessing about dont necessarily apply to the Barris children in the same way that they apply to average black girls. Statistically speaking, most black girls are not worried about whether their parents will burn through their trust funds.

Theres another thing that makes this show a poor facsimile of Curb Your Enthusiasm: Theres no Susie Essman equivalent to remind Kenya that hes full of it. Drea comes closest, but she lacks the authority and perspective of adulthood. Kenyas obsessed with black essentialism, but not enough to realize that its not nearly the problem he makes it out to be. So his random, mundane issues get shoehorned into unrelated things, like Juneteenth. Kenya says that hes constantly thinking about the white gaze, but thats just an excuse to avoid any real self-examination, especially since he never delves deeper into any of the issues surrounding race that he brings up.

Rashida Jones plays Joya, a mom of six children who is married to Kenya Barris.

Netflix

Even with all of these issues, Jones acquits herself as well as she can with a vapid goofiness that mostly hinges on her inability to dance well. Barris, as an actor, is flat on screen. Whats especially frustrating is that these topics are stale Baratunde Thurston published How to Be Black in 2012. Ta-Nehisi Coates excoriated President Barack Obama for his condescension and for trafficking in outdated racial essentialism in 2013.

Black people have moved on. Kenya Barris has not.

The fifth episode is about Barris discomfort with seeking and needing the honest approval of white critics. Barris attends a screening of an unnamed film by a black director. He hates it, and he cant understand why anyone would like it or see it as quality cinema. And the fact that his own family likes the film drives him crazy. After a quick trip to New York to visit Tyler Perry, Barris decides to dismiss critics altogether and convenes a video call with Tim Story, Issa Rae, Will Packer, Ava DuVernay and Lena Waithe to parse his feelings about being publicly honest about film and television made by black people.

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We do it all the time with white stuff, he says. Why cant we do it with our own stuff?

Like so much of #blackAF, Barris argument hinges on a straw man. In the case of the fifth episode, where Barris postulates that black artists dont receive an honest critique of their work, he conveniently elides the existence of black critics such as Angelica Jade Bastin, Melanie McFarland, Cate Young, Eric Deggans, Robert Daniels, Candice Frederick, Malcolm Venable, Hannah Giorgis, Doreen St. Felix, Wesley Morris, Jenna Wortham and Joelle Monique.

Before Barris or the character he plays whines about how impossible it is to get an honest assessment of his work from people who look like him, he might want to remember that black critics exist. Whether or not he takes heed of their words is up to him.

Soraya Nadia McDonald is the culture critic for The Undefeated. She writes about pop culture, fashion, the arts, and literature. She's based in Brooklyn.

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#blackAF is painfully devoid of new ideas - The Undefeated

Two weeks into the new fiscal year New Brunswick's planned budget surplus has been transformed into a hefty deficit by the COVID-19 crisis and although Premier Blaine Higgs is not ready yet to reveal how big the financial troubles will be, all signs point to something large perhaps historic.

"We are certainly now in very significant deficit territory and I don't see that changing anytime soon," said Higgs on Thursday during his regular afternoon news conference.

"A surplus and debt payment are now no longer even an option of any kind."

Higgs said both the cabinet and special all-party cabinet committee overseeing the province's response to the pandemic have been briefed on New Brunswick's deteriorating finances and said the public will be updated soon.

Edwin Hunter/CBC News

Still, a growing consensus of private-sector forecasts suggest the impact of the pandemic on New Brunswick's economy will be historically severe, even if mercifully short.

Provinces to slip into 'severe recession'

Earlier this week, the Royal Bank forecast New Brunswick's economy will shrink by 4.5 per cent this year and temporarily shed 43,000 jobs before recovery begins toward the end of summer.

"We now project all provinces will slip into a severe recession," wrote bank economists Robert Hogue and Ramya Muthukumaran in a report looking at the prospects of each province coping with the virus.

"Business closures, massive layoffs and drastically reduced working hours for those still employed generate additional knock-on effects for other sectors leading to further job losses and deepening the economic contraction. The end result will be for 2020 to mark the steepest one-year decline in GDP for all provinces."

It's a gloomy view shared by others.

The Conference Board of Canada, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Toronto-Dominion and National banks have each recently projected a severe economic contraction in New Brunswick this year of between 3.2 and 4.1 per cent.

That's significantly worse than the banking crisis and recession of 2008 when New Brunswick's economy declined by a combined 0.6 per cent over two years.

That downturn had been unforseen in the province's 2009 budget and the deficit that year ballooned $170 million higher than expected, mostly due to increased spending to deal with the recession.

$100M in unbudgeted spending

The New Brunswick Department of Finance has said little so far but does hint the 2008 experience will be at the low end what the province's finances are likely to encounter this time.

"There is an increasing consensus that this crisis will be as bad as the 2008 financial crisis or worse," said finance department spokesperson Vicky Deschenes in a statement to CBC News.

The Higgs government has already authorized unbudgeted spending of more than $100 million to help individuals and businesses survive the pandemic financially. But it's the potential effect on provincial revenues that is likely to pose the larger threat to New Brunswick's budget.

Story continues

Last week, the federal government's independent Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux published an updated "scenario analysis" of the potential effect of the pandemic on Canada's finances.

That modelled a 23 per cent decline in projected revenue from GST and 10 per cent reductions in projected revenue from personal and corporate income taxes flowing from job losses and business closures across the country.

"We stress that this scenario is not a forecast of the most likely outcome. It is an illustrative scenario of one possible outcome," said Giroux's office about the analysis.

Although speculative and not directly applicable to provinces, superimposing similar effects on New Brunswick's projected $3.8 billion in HST and personal and corporate income taxes this year would trigger revenue reductions of $580 million.

That's unlikely since Giroux's analysis is based on a national economic contraction of 5.1 per cent, which is larger than the contraction expected in New Brunswick, but it is illustrative of how much government tax revenue is under threat by the economic upheaval being caused by the virus.

Higgs has said for weeks he will worry about the province's finances after the threat from COVID-19 passess but Thursday did acknowledge restarting the economy and solving the fiscal problem the virus leaves behind will be daunting.

"That's why I'm pleased and excited to be working with the other three leaders because you know this is a situation where fighting the virus is one thing, but managing our path forward collectively so that we all recognize the challenges we're facing is extremely important."

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New Brunswick in 'very significant deficit territory' just two weeks into fiscal year - Yahoo News Canada

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) On Monday afternoon, the Indiana State Department of Health announced more than 300 new positive cases of COVID-19 in that state. The department also said there were seven more deaths related to the coronavirus.

Currently, Indiana stands at 8,236 positive coronavirus cases with 350 deaths.

ISDH has been providing daily updates around 10 a.m.here.

Officials in Indiana are not yet providing information on recoveries. Dr. Kris Box recently said thatinformation will be available as soon as medical codes are created that will offer COVID-19 recovery information, which the state does not currently have.

According tothe Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, there have been more than 1,863,000 confirmed cases worldwide, with more than 440,000 recoveries and more than 115,000 deaths.

The actions of Hoosiers have made a positive impact on coronavirus in Indiana, Gov. Eric Holcomb said in a Monday virtual press conference.

UPDATE 9:34 p.m.

Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard, in a news release, strongly urged all who are in public to wear face coverings. He also urged employers to request all front-line employees wear face masks and be tested for the COVID-19 virus. Brainard also requested people shopping for necessary items at essential business such as groceries, hardware stores, pharmacies, restaurants and others wear face coverings when interacting with the public. In addition, he said, businesses should also request that food and product delivery people, private shelf-stockers and mail/package carriers from UPS, FedEx, USPS, Amazon and other businesses wear masks while in those essential businesses.

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ISDH: More than 300 new positive COVID-19 cases - WISHTV.com

Mr Raab, who as First Secretary of State is the first in the line of succession, had already been entrusted with chairing the daily War Cabinet tasked with coordinating the UKs response to the pandemic.

In a statement released on Monday, Downing Street said that Mr Raab had been asked to deputise where necessary, suggesting that a full handover may not have taken place yet.

However, with Mr Johnson remaining conscious, it remains unclear as to whether his most significant powers, such as issues of national security, havebeen transferred to Mr Raab.

Leading the daily Downing Street press conference on Mondayafternoon, Mr Raab said that a team of ministers and Whitehall officials were working full throttle to carry out the instructions of Mr Johnson from his hospital bed at St Thomass, central London.

But when asked whether he had taken over Mr Johnsons security responsibilities, Mr Raab declined to comment.

We are getting on with all of the various strands of work to make sure at home and abroad we can defeat the virus and pull the country through coronavirus and the challenges that undoubtedly we're facing at the moment, headded.

The UKs chain of command stands in contrast to the United States, where it is set out in the constitution.

The powers and responsibilities of the US vice president are also clearly defined, whereas in the UK, the office of deputy prime minister has not been used since Nick Clegg entered into the coalition with David Cameron in 2010.

Even before the Prime Ministers admission to hospital, the confusion had already given rise to reports of infighting among Cabinet ministers, with allies of Michael Gove, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, suggesting that he was next in line.

As the coronavirus outbreak escalated, Downing Street foresaw the potential constitutional dilemma and began drawing up a designated successor plan with Mr Raab nominated as first recipient.

Rishi Sunak was thennamed as Mr Johnson's second "designated successor" amid claims that Mr Gove was overlooked due to question marks over his loyalty.

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Who is the Prime Ministers deputy with Boris Johnson in hospital? - Telegraph.co.uk

Medway Council plans to spend 12million on the replacement of thousands of street lamps to make them carbon neutral.

Around 23,100 could be changed to LED energy saving light bulbs while more than4,000 concrete columns are likely to be replaced. These are deemed cheaper to manage and run in line with the council's environment strategy.

But, a final decision will need to be made by full council on April 23 before work can start. The move was unanimously backed by Medway Council's cabinet during a public meeting at Chatham's Gun Wharf.

Medway councillor Phil Filmer (Con), the portfolio holder for front line services, said: "This programme will be carbon neutral and help to keep our climate change programme up to date. I hope full council agree to it."

However, some concerns have been raised over vandals disrupting works carried out to replace the lights, if approved by councillors later this month.

This comes after 5G network masts were subjected to attacks in parts of the UK, with some claiming that they have contributed to the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak. Some were set alight in Liverpool and Birmingham.

Medway Council's opposition leader, Cllr Vince Maple (Lab), described the arson as "absolutely ludicrous" and called on all residents to act responsibly.

He added: "The link between the 5G network and the cause of this pandemic is nonsense. If anyone thinks about acting against these street lamps, they need to think long and hard about doing so before doing anything so stupid."

There are 25,667 street lights in Medway, with around 90% of these expected to be upgraded. This is because LED lights are deemed more energy efficient and it is hoped that any repairs needed can be completed quicker in the future.

The proposal also comes amid fears that running costs will grow beyond the council's means, with a 431,000 overspend over the past 18 months.If no action is taken, council bosses say further year on year increases are likely.

A Medway Council paper published ahead of the cabinet meeting stated: "The current situation, where column replacements are prioritised within an inadequate funding envelope, is unsustainable.

"Most columns are already beyond their original design life and even focusingon columns that are deemed structurally unsafe, there is insufficient funding, in annual budgets to meet the needs of this service."

Medway's 55 councillors will decide whether to back the move at the next full council meeting, which remains planned for April 23 at Chatham's Gun Wharf.

Read more: All the latest news from Medway

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Let there be carbon neutral light - Kent Online

As we enter the second month of stay-at-home orders around the U.S., the strain on the home kitchen is already clear; stores and vendors are adjusting to changing food demands and the supply chain has been impacted.

Certain ingredient shortages we encounter while managing with limited grocery shopping runs make cooking dinner and breakfast, and lunch, and snacktime, and dessert, and midnight snack all the more difficult.

For those battling food insecurity, school meal services and food banks are working overtime to help provide necessary meals and supplies. But for those looking at empty pantry shelves while delaying a grocery trip to stock up further on in-demand items like beans and oat milk, a few innovative swaps can mean that a missing ingredient here or there wont throw off your meal planning. For advice, TIME turned to Alissa Wagner, chef and co-founder of the popular downtown New York City restaurant Dimes and co-author of the recently published cookbook Emotional Eating, as well as baker and Great American Baking Show winner Vallery Lomas, whos popular on social media as the Foodie in New York, and pastry chef and Milk Bar founder Christina Tosi, who has been teaching fans with daily live Instagram tutorials.

Wagner called from her restaurants associated market, which is still serving prepared foods and remains busy and well-stocked. Start simply and play around with things, Wagner says. You really can look at cookbooks and recipes and try not to be intimidated and enjoy it. Lomas, meanwhile, has been testing out simplified recipes from her studio apartment in Harlem that are fuss free and work for smaller crowds or even portioned just for one. Dont let fear of failure stop you, she said. Tosi keeps things interesting by playing music themed to match her culinary pursuits (like a queens of pop playlist while making popovers) and sharing what she makes, as much as she safely can. Kitchen time never feels like a chore when you approach it with a generosity of spirit mentality, she says. Now is the time to spread the love more than ever.

Here, Wagner, Lomas and Tosi share their suggestions for what to do when you run out of some of the basics. And while this guide doesnt cover everything you might need to make your preferred dish of the evening to the recipes exact specifications, it might help you come up with some creative solutions. I like to look at my pantry with a sense of imagination, Tosi says. Approach every ingredient with a What does this typically bring to the dish or snack I use it in? Write it down and come back to it when you put your apron on.

Eggs are a refrigerator staple, but once youve worked through your regular dozen, you may find yourself uncertain of what to use as a replacement. If its a breakfast protein youre in the mood for, Wagner recommends turning to tofu, which can be prepared as a scramble and lasts a long time in the fridge.

Although eggs are hard to match in taste as a standalone food and Tosi cautions against trying to replace them in a recipe if it calls for more than a few there are a number of workable stand-ins. If youre baking, do as the vegans do: consider swapping in apple sauce or another fruit you can cook or puree, which provides the same binding properties in baked goods as eggs. (Mashed bananas are a common option, too, and very cost-effective if you buy bunches in bulk. They can also be frozen for later use.) Tosi says a neutral-flavored oil could also help provide structure and moisture.

Lomas and Tosi also recommend the flax egg letting a tablespoon of flaxseed meal soak in a few tablespoons of water for a few minutes. The resulting jelly-like concoction will work in lieu of real eggs, and is every vegans favorite trick, Tosi says.

If youre looking for egg whites, the water in a can of chickpeas, called aquafaba, will suffice. Meringues, mayonnaise and cocktails like a pisco sour can use aquafaba instead of real egg whites. Vegans have been using the replacement source for years.

When dairy supplies run low, fortunately there are plenty of milk substitutes that are more shelf-stable than perishable dairy. Wagner particularly likes coconut milk, which you can keep in your pantry and will work as a replacement for regular milk when thinned with some water. (Its a lot fattier than regular milk, Wagner explained.)

Match your milk sub with the flavor profile of what you are baking, Tosi says. So for bundt and loaf cakes, for instance, she sometimes turns to sour cream and Greek yogurt.

If you have nuts lying around, making your own nut milk is also a possibility: Wagner recommends a three-part water to one-part nut ratio, soaked overnight and blended. A clean t-shirt will do as a strainer, she says. Wagner likes cashew milk, which has a really nice sweetness and its a little cheaper than almonds, making it a more cost-effective option. Almonds and oats also work, and Tosi says nut milks are a good option for pancakes, crepes and bar cookies. Im not above melting down vanilla ice cream to sub in for milk, either, she adds. Embrace all the milky things, she said. Yes, even whipped cream.

If you dont have milk, Lomas suggests simply using water instead of milk for a substitute in baking. And when all else fails, Tosi notes, dont underestimate the power of milk powder, which you can mix with water, too.

There is an almost infinite variety of cheeses on the market. But when it comes to the cheese that we use most often, its generally as an additive on other dishes for that umami kick. Nutritional yeast will work as a substitute in many pasta dishes, Wagner says. Or for saltiness, you can try out capers and olives, which last in the pantry and fridge and bring in the salty brininess you might be missing when you run out of parmesan, notes Wagner.

For Tosi, the pantry or snack cabinet could also hold answers. Ill take the flavor packet from my mac and cheese to make my own Cheez-Its, or use a box of cake mix and some cream cheese for a gooey butter cake, she says.

For cooking, oil olive, canola or even grapeseed or avocado can generally be used as a butter substitute, provided you select an oil with a flavor that complements the rest of your ingredients. It depends on the recipe as to how well this swap will work, Lomas says. Coconut oil, for instance, has a flavor all its own. Used in a cookie recipe, canola and vegetable oil will result in a sandier textured cookie, Tosi says. The conversion is also not a direct one-to-one swap between butter and oil, since butter also has milk fats that an oil may lack; you might need a few tablespoons fewer of oil than butter for a cake, for instance.

Then theres old school shortening, which Tosi says is a best bet for matching butters flavor and structure; margarine is another option, although not as flavorful. If the butter is being used as an especially creamy component, like in a risotto, you could try a heavy cream.

If youre craving homemade carbs perhaps inspired by the proliferation of amateur baking projects youre seeing on social media theres plenty to choose from. Amid flour and yeast shortages, there are still breads you can make that dont require yeast.

Cornbread, Wagner says, should fit the bill provided you can find cornmeal. Simpler bread recipes like focaccia are another option, as it is made without yeast. Tosi turns to her fool-proof beer bread, since beer already has yeast in it. (Her recipe: 1 beer, 3 cups flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, cup butter melted.) She also recommends adapting bread recipes by cutting all but one tablespoon sugar out and throwing spices and seed in, like zaatar or curry powder, for a more aromatic loaf.

Lomas has been baking basics like wheat bread from scratch using whole wheat flour. Other alternative flours, like rice or chickpea, are common in gluten-free recipes and can be used widely. Wagner likes chickpea flour which is less gummy than rice flour and makes really good savory pancakes. Tosi suggests cake flour, which has a lower protein content. Nut flours nuts ground up in a food processor until they are sandy, with a few tablespoons of cornstarch to encourage the binding are her recommendation for cookies. Oat flour (ground up oats) also can work: 1 cups oat flour for 1 cup all purpose flour, says Tosi. Lomas is also a proponent of oat flour, which works well in her cookies and is a decently affordable option.

Even beyond the expected flour alternatives, Tosi suggests turning to other dry ingredients that can grind down into a flour-like consistency, like popcorn and pretzels. (Popcorn flour is fire! she says, but keep an eye on the overall salt content if you use pretzel flour.)

When running low on sugar, look to other sweeteners you have at hand: maple syrup and honey, both of which are actually lower on the glycemic index than regular processed sugar, Wagner says. Plus, both maple syrup and honey last a long time without going bad. Lomas even uses honey in her homemade whole wheat bread recipe. Agave is another natural sweetener option.

Tosi suggests thinking even further beyond the basics when it comes to bringing sweetness to a recipe. Most things you crave late at night can work, too: marshmallows, chocolate, white chocolate chips, peanut butter, sorbet melted down, and candy.

Brown sugars can also be whipped up at home if need be: light brown sugar can be concocted by adding a splash of maple syrup to granulated sugar, while to mix your own dark brown sugar you can add molasses. And powdered sugar, to top things off? Blend granulated sugar with a pinch of cornstarch. In the baking world its called 10x, in reference to it being ground down 10 times, Tosi says of powdered sugars origins.

You can also look beyond sugar for flavor in your baking. If you like a salty-sweet combo, throw potato chips, pretzels, butterscotch chips you name it in your cookie dough or loaf or pancake batter, Tosi says.

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Alternatives to meat like plant-based brands Beyond Meat or the Impossible Burger are buzzy, but can get pricy. To fulfill the central protein portion of a meal, Wagner looks farther afield to vegetarian staples like tofu, which can be bought in bulk for a more cost-conscious solution, or chickpeas. Theyre very filling and versatile; they take to spice and herbs very well, she says, suggesting a simple preparation with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, sea salt, chopped cilantro and red pepper flakes (or Aleppo pepper if you have it).

Or turn to canned goods. Canned fish like sardines, anchovies and tuna is shelf-stable and stores well, and works as a meal centerpiece. Wagner suggests a spin on the classic French Nioise salad, featuring a canned fish and any vegetable you have on hand, or you can serve the fish on toast.

By the end of two weeks without restocking at a grocery, vegetables may have wilted. But Wagner reminds us that any kind of soft herb or the green part of a vegetable can be used as a base for a salad or a green addition to a meal, including parsley, basil, cilantro, kale or chard. Carrot tops, beet greens, even fennel fronds anything like that you can use, instead of throwing it out, she says.

And dont overlook your onions. One thing people always have lying around that can upgrade anything are onions. You can pickle them easily and throw them into a salad; you can fry them and throw them in with beans, or saut them into your eggs. It adds a ton of flavor in a really easy way, she says.

Pickling is a helpful way of extending the lifespan of leftover vegetables, too. All you really need is vinegar, salt and sugar. Everything else is a bonus, Wagner says of the pickling process.

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A Guide to Expert-Tested Cooking and Baking Substitutes If You Can't Find Your Usual Ingredients Anywhere - TIME

The Uttarakhand government has initiated efforts to bring the chief priests of Kedarnath and Badrinath stuck outside the state due to the Covid-19 lockdown to preside over the opening of the temples. The state government has decided to open Kedarnath on April 29 and Badrinath on April 30 and the priests are supposed to be present at the opening ceremony.

However, it has also asked authorities concerned to nominate other priests as replacement of the chief priests in case they are not in a position to be present on the occasion. The chief priests (called rawal) of Kedarnath is in Maharashtra and that of Badrinath in Kerala.

In case of Kedarnath and Badrinath, the priests who conduct the rituals for the opening of portals are outside the state. We spoke to home ministry that these priests be allowed to come to the state. The home ministry has agreed they will be allowed to come to Uttarakhand by car. If they come, they will be quarantined for 14 days, said Madan Kaushik, cabinet minister and spokesperson of the state government.

But even after their return, the rawals will have to mandatorily remain in 14-day quarantine, due to which they will have to skip the opening ceremony.

Kaushik said in case of Badrinath shrine, the Tehri royal family (considered its custodians) will be empowered to change the date of the opening the portal or nominate somebody for opening the portal.

Similarly, the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee has also been asked to nominate another priest as a temporary replacement for the Kedarnath rawal if he is not in a position to make it to the temple on schedule.

Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Utpal Kumar Singh told news agency PTI that this has been done three or four times in the past also amid unusual circumstances.

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Covid-19 casts shadow on opening of Badrinath, Kedarnath; Uttarakhand govt trying to bring priests ... - Hindustan Times

WILTSHIRE Council is replacing fewer homes than are sold through the governments Right to Buy scheme, figures suggest.

According to data from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, 26 council houses were privatised through Right to Buy in 2019 eight fewer than were sold in 2018.

Councils are expected to replace Right to Buy homes on a one-for-one basis, but can only use 30 per cent of the receipts from properties sold to cover the cost of replacements.

In 2019, Wiltshire Council acquired or began construction on three replacement homes for those sold previously.

Cllr Richard Clewer, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: In the 2019/2020 financial year, our Right to Buy receipts part funded the completion of 12 affordable homes, including both newbuilds and acquisitions, making a total of 198 additional affordable homes built or acquired using 3.7m of retained Right to Buy receipts to date.

We are currently scheduled to build or acquire 13 affordable homes in 2020/2021, partly funded with Right to Buy receipts, with a further 18 currently planned to follow in the future, as part of our commitment to build or buy 1,000 homes over the next 10 years.

We have also implemented a range of other schemes, including our council house programme and community-led housing schemes, to increase the number of affordable homes in Wiltshire in the coming years.

Under Right to Buy, councils are expected to replace houses on a one-for-one basis, however, they can only use 30 per cent of the funds from properties sold to cover the replacements.

The Local Government Association says councils should be given more power to build new homes in the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

David Renard, the Local Government Associations housing spokesman, says the government needs to take action to ensure work on affordable homes can continue as planned after the coronavirus pandemic, with less restriction on how councils can use proceeds from Right to Buy sales.

He added: We are calling for a temporary extension of the time given to commence planning permissions that would otherwise lapse over the coming weeks.

This would enable construction activity to deliver new homes to start again quickly, when it is safe to do so, without the need to potentially have to start the planning process again.

The Government should also urgently extend the time limit for spending Right to Buy receipts from three years to five years, to ensure that many planned council housing projects that are currently on hold can continue to go ahead at the appropriate time.

As part of the countrys recovery from coronavirus, to deliver the housing the country needs the government should give councils the powers to build homes again and reform Right to Buy so councils can keep receipts in full to invest in new housing, and set discounts locally.

An MHCLG spokesman said Right to Buy has helped more than 121,000 people get on the property ladder nationally since 2010.

They said: Weve given councils the freedom to be able to build more social homes through abolishing the Housing Revenue Account borrowing cap.

Were working to get more people on the housing ladder, investing 12.2 billion next year alone to build many more affordable homes across England.

Continue reading here:
Local Government Association is asking the government to help council's build homes - The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald

The Hon. Sergio Marchi served as a Canadian member of parliament and cabinet minister. He also was also the Canadian ambassador to the World Trade Organization and UN Agencies in Geneva.

The U.S. has been an able leader of the free world for a long time, but its now looking tired and uncertain. Their politics is a mess, and their global leadership is in serious jeopardy. And that was before the coronavirus pandemic.If Trump is re-elected, theres little hope for renewal, which has been a longstanding hallmark of American society. Indeed, with another four years under his rule, their political system would likely reach unthinkable new lows.Conversely, with a Democrat in the White House, can the situation be salvaged?

Its therefore not an exaggeration, to ask if the U.S. empire is in jeopardy.It is entirely possible, if we look to history. The past is littered with empires that have come and gone. Reigns that seemed invincible were no more and futures were forever changed.

While predictions are for fools, I believe it would be prudent for the Canadian government to weigh the continued decline of the U.S. as a real option, and what this would mean for our national and global interests.Blaming Trump alone would be too simple. The gradual and unmistakable political, economic and social erosion started well before his administration.

MORE:Oh wise and wonderful Trump, help us stop the coronavirus

In 2008, CNNs Fareed Zakaria, wrote an enlightening book about how developing countries were on the rise and challenging America. His book was entitled, The Post-American World, and the Rise of the Rest, and his premise was that America was not necessarily on the decline. Rather, it was more about the rapid ascension of other nations.In the intervening 12 years, however, it is painfully clear that America has been slipping quickly.One need only to consider some of the prevailing ailments.

Washington politics has become bitterly divided, more extreme and paralyzed on many fronts. The two parties are barely talking to each other. There was a time, when the two, despite their differences, would band together when the national interest was at stake. That is no longer the case, which weakens their ability to lead at home and abroad.

Money has badly corroded their political arena and restricted who can enter it. Without any serious limits, democracy is being bought and paid for. While Bernie Sanders passionately laments this, both parties have become beholden to the American dollar. In the 2012 election, for example, Obama and Romney each spent over a billion dollars, just trying to get elected. Thats an obscene amount, which fuels the alienation that average Americans feel. The belief that theirgovernment is no longer theirs.

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The rule of law, which has traditionally been a pillar of their democracy, is now being severely undermined. Trump is acting with impunity, running roughshod over the law, as he moves to forgive friends and target his political enemies. Meanwhile, the Attorney General acts as if he is Trumps personal lawyer. In addition, there is no line separating the presidents public interests from his private ones. The concept of conflict of interest is dead.

On the economic front, we note that tariffs, sanctions, subsidies and other forms of protectionism, are being used to protect and prop up U.S. businesses. Not only is this unsustainable, but China is already breathing down their neck and poised to claim the number-one spot as global economic leader.Significant policy disputes and tensionsabortion, capital punishment, guns, immigration, same-sex marriages, race relationscontinue to swirl without any satisfactory closure. They make appearances in every election.

Trump is also weakening international institutions. The U.S. has gone from being the locomotive in building and sustaining organizations for the global public good, into a caboose that drags and hinders progress.In the process, the president is undoing important relationships with allies, and weakening regional and global alliances. Many years in the making, these friends and groups share economic, political and military interests. Now, like Canada, they are victims to an America-first preoccupation.

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Just look at his handling of the COVID-19 crisis. Most objective observers have concluded that America has badly underperformed. The president was slow off the mark, quick to call it a foreign and Chinese disease, he played the blame game with Europe, and is in constant quarrel with U.S. governors. Collaboration and empathy was supplanted by a go-it-alone mentality.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. infectious disease expert, now walks around with six security agents to protect him against threats he has received from Americans, who question his medical judgement and loyalty to the president. And Chinese Americans are now buying record amounts of guns for protection against a racial backlash, owing to the fact that the virus originated in China. These societal reactions are extreme and disturbing.

Finally, to make matters worse, Trump coddles political dictators that have no interest in a healthy Western society. In fact, they are working towards empire replacement.

In the face of these indisputable and concerning trends, where does this leave Canada moving forward?Many European countries are not waiting, they are already preparing their own contingency plans.Canada should do the same.Quietly but deliberately, our political leaders should evaluate this shift by asking tough questions, in an effort to develop strategically effective options should they be required.

They need to address at least four critical areas.

First is the need to carefully consider the potential economic consequences we would face, should America forfeit its leadership position and turn inward.

On trade, will we be able to sustain the worlds largest relationship, and a NAFTA deal that has just been updated? If not, then it will be critical to adjust our global trading strategy accordingly. We would also have to worry about the millions of jobs that are closely tied to a strong America, and the complementary multi-billion dollar stock of U.S. investments in our country.

In regards to our energy sector, which is already under severe strain, we must protect our energy exports by quickly diversifying and finding new markets. Selling oil and gas at greatly reduced prices exclusively to the U.S. was never a good idea. We will also need to expect and guard against a resurgence of Buy America campaigns, which are no more than thinly veiled, modern-day forms of protectionism.

Second, we must think hard about our unique bilateral security arrangements.

The U.S. defence arrangements with Canada are more extensive than with any other country. They are the big brother in this relationship, a huge concern for us. Trump has repeatedly complained that Canada does not pull its weight on defence. Should he act precipitously against us, he could make life difficult in the realm of Canadian security interests. He could also move on past threats to both NATO and NORAD, which would only further compound our difficulties.

Closer to home, it might also mean changes to the many customs and border enforcement agreements that we currently enjoy with the U.S., impeding the movement of some 400,000 citizens, from both countries, who cross the border each day.

Third, we would need to weigh the ramifications on our bilateral and global political agenda.

We have shared a strategic political friendship and agenda with the U.S. Yes, we are independently minded and see things very differently at times. But overall, we have been very tight with American policies. If a radically different American trajectory emerges, we will need to seek out new strategic relationships and alliances. As well, we will need to review our roles and support base when it comes to the many international organizations where Canada is a member, and where we have benefited from U.S. supportthe UN, WTO, G-7, G-20, OECD, OAS and APEC.

In terms of North America, we have successfully built a strong continental framework with both the U.S. and Mexico. We will therefore need to consider its future course with the potential intransigence of its biggest partner. And we will find out if our relationships with other world powers, such as China and Russia, are made vulnerable without the guarantee of American backing.

Finally, we would need to account for how a changed America could undermine global leadership and progress on the social agenda.

For so long, we have been on the same page as the U.S. Together with other key allies, we have fought for a just and kinder world. This includes actions on human, labour and gender rights; efforts in building democracy, free speech and a free media; sound migration and refugee programs; environmental agreements; and the building of institutions that helped the world navigate the many rocky shoals. It will be crucial to find ways to continue to build on this record, rather than turning towards a harsher global community.

Then, there are issues like climate change, that fit no single category. They belong to each of the foregoing four issues because they pose such an existential threat to our planet.

Americas continued decline would represent a giant tectonic shift in the current world order. It will create huge and dangerous voids, that will require our urgent attention, just as other geo-political earthquakes did, including the implosion of the Soviet Union, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the expansion of NATO, the extension of the European community, the rise of China, 9-11, the 2008 financial crisis, Brexit, and now a global pandemic. More than any other nation, our close friendship and geographical proximity makes Canada particularly vulnerable.

If the old American way is salvaged, fine. We would continue to benefit from our long-standing relationship, and so would they. If not, we must make our strategic calculations, without being caught by surprise and without being restricted by sentimentality.To do nothing, and simply assume no change, would be an irresponsible risk to our continued political and economic prosperity as a nation.

Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau famously compared living next to the U.S. like living next to an elephant.No matter how friendly and even-tempered is the beast, one is affected by every twitch and grunt, he said.Well, what if the beast becomes unfriendly and unevenly temperedthen what?

See the article here:
Is the U.S. empire in jeopardy? - Maclean's

COUNTY Durham residents are being offered a helping hand to stay active during the coronavirus lockdown.

Durham County Council has teamed up with TechnoGym, to provide free, daily home workouts and a range of challenges via their MyWellness app.

Each day, users will be able to access three levels of workouts easy, medium and pro. Alongside this there will be some fun weekly challenges and special workouts developed by the countys local instructors to keep residents motivated during this difficult time

The digital workouts and fun weekly challenges are free for anyone who has registered via the councils website and downloaded the app.

It is hoped that the MyWellness app will keep people healthy, motivated and able to make the most of the space they have at home, and outdoors, whilst following social distancing guidelines.

Cllr Carl Marshall, Cabinet member for economic regeneration, said: Even though people are currently unable to attend their local leisure centre, community fitness class or walking or running group, we are committed to continuing to provide a service to our customers and residents.

"Thats why we have teamed up with TechnoGym in the hope that the MyWellness app will keep our residents and members active, motivated and healthy until were able to welcome them back to our facilities and community programmes in the future.

Our dedicated staff have put together a number of challenges and workouts to try at home so we hope this digital replacement will be enough to keep people engaged and raise their spirits during these unprecedented times. We hope everyone stays safe and well and we look forward to seeing them again when we reopen.

Information on how to register for and download the MyWellness app can be found by searching on the councils website: http://www.durham.gov.uk.

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Keeping fit from the comfort of your own home - The Northern Echo