US President Donald Trump declares national emergency to help handle the growing outbreak of coronavirus https://t.co/OG1hhn3JJb
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) March 13, 2020
This evening.
Via Wikipedia:
A national emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to perform actions not normally permitted. The 1976 National Emergencies Act implemented various legal requirements regarding emergencies declared by the President of the United States.
More as we get it.
What a week!
With the music scene grinding unceremoniously to an almost complete halt, I thought it might be an idea to ask you to share your favourite album to self-isolate to and why.
The winning entry will receive a life-affirming €25 Golden Discs voucher.
And will be chosen by my cat from a safe distance.
Lines MUST close at 9.30pm.
Include video of favourite track on album where possible.
This afternoon.
Berlin, Germany.
Stephen O’Farrell writes:
My friend living in Berlin, just took this photo.
A sign of hope at the end of the Corona bottle.? It’s OK, there’s still rainbows Okurrrr
Hic.
This afternoon.
Ringsend & Irishtown Tidy Towns & Environment (RITE) tweetz:
Many groups over the years requested these, many phone calls, emails, requests to city Councillors & TDs, RITE took up the mantle, today they arrived. Many thanks to all involved…
Hot Wheels
at
Behold: the Ultima RS – a street legal flyweight Le Mans prototype supercar available in various levels of trim from spartan to custom luxury and three engine configurations, from an impressive normally-aspirated 480bhp LT1 to a staggering 1,200bhp supercharged LT5.
0-100km/h takes 2.3 seconds, the top speed is 402km/h and the entry-level configuration will cost €107,000.
Obligatory COVID-19 tie-in: While entirely unconnected with the current pandemic, ’Ultima RS’ does have the same number of characters as ‘SARS-CoV-2’ if you leave out the hyphens.
Arlene Foster
This afternoon.
The official report into Northern Ireland’s cash-for-ash scandal has been published.
This concerns a renewable heat initiative (RSI) scheme presided over by DUP leader Arlene Foster which may have cost British taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds.
Inquiry Chairman Sir Patrick Coghlin faulted the Northern Ireland First Minister for not reading her own department’s legislation.
Cú Chulainn writes:
In his report, Sir Patrick says the flaws and problems were not the result of “corrupt or malicious activity on the part of officials, Ministers or Special Advisers”.
He adds: “Rather, the vast majority of what went wrong, was due to an accumulation and compounding of errors and omissions over time and failure of attention, on the part of all those involved in their differing roles, to identify the existence, significance or implications of those errors and omissions.”
Remarkable that.
Cash for Stash.
FIGHT!
Cash-for-ash inquiry delivers damning indictment of Stormont incompetence (The Guardian)
This afternoon.
Department of the Taoiseach, Government Buildings. Dublin 2.
Members of the press are seated 1.5 metres away from one another as Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe and Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys hold a briefing in relation to COVID-19 .
No play dates, no playgrounds, no parties, no visits to grandparents. Dr Anne Marie McLaughlin Respiratory Consultant at St James Hospital in Dublin appeal to parents to limit their children’s social interactions to stop Covid 19 spread “this is not school holidays” @rtenews pic.twitter.com/DrQWGBio0w
— Samantha Libreri (@SamanthaLibreri) March 13, 2020
This afternoon.
A message to the kids.
It’s like being grounded for doing nothing wrong.
I hate you.
*slams door*
Alternatively…
Two doctors you’ll never see on TV for a debate pic.twitter.com/TEybuFSBf3
— An0maly (@LegendaryEnergy) March 13, 2020
FIGHT!