BREAKING: Northern Ireland will go into a six week lockdown on Boxing Day.
— UTV Live News (@UTVNews) December 17, 2020
More here: https://t.co/XvhcUcE8Cv
NI Health Minister Robin Swann says the new six-week lockdown is "probably the toughest decision" the executive has had to make during the pandemic. pic.twitter.com/joDGa1OzMv
— BBC News NI (@BBCNewsNI) December 17, 2020
Northern Ireland will enter a six-week lockdown on Boxing Day amid rising COVID-19 infections and severe pressure on hospitals https://t.co/vG0wZOYOI0
— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 17, 2020
Northern Irelands's new year lockdown will be death knell for businesses, sector warns https://t.co/Q8uxVTNRYn pic.twitter.com/fvUOo7hHXK
— Belfast Telegraph (@BelTel) December 17, 2020
"Obviously the situation in terms of COVID is quite dire"
— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 17, 2020
Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill says "it was quite clear… that an urgent intervention was required" and announces a six week lockdown in Northern Ireland starting on Boxing Day
Read more: https://t.co/a0qqDBxMb8 pic.twitter.com/YlDILZxD92
No. It's N.Ireland with hospitals overwhelmed, ambulances unable to park because all spaces occupied by ambulances treating patients because no beds in A&E, covid cases rising & some people unwilling to protect others by wearing masks & obeying advice from Govt. & scientists.
— Roisin McAuley (@roisinmcauley) December 17, 2020
In terms of new covid cases, there is a great gulf between Northern Ireland (which has had a shambolic few weeks of politicking around restrictions) & the Republic of Ireland (which after initial indecision had a pretty robust six-week lockdown) – & the gulf is getting greater. pic.twitter.com/zW7vEQQRbx
— Sam McBride (@SJAMcBride) December 13, 2020
🔴 Downing Street has suggested a third national lockdown will be considered if coronavirus infections continue to rise after Christmas https://t.co/8EjMsx3VGB
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) December 17, 2020
Govt considering new restrictions from 28 December via @RTENews https://t.co/iQfdWL1XvC
— Fergal Bowers (@FergalBowers) December 17, 2020
NEW: London hospitals forced to cancel operations to free up staffing as critical care beds fill up https://t.co/8tmAIZtrsg #COVID19
— Shaun Lintern (@ShaunLintern) December 17, 2020
The 'biggest ever' anti-lockdown protest is taking place this weekend on saturday https://t.co/NZkR4S4Pg2 London protests
— Jake Wright (@JakeWri38029870) December 17, 2020
Friday’s Daily MIRROR: “Tiers Before Bedlam” #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/dg89bpqnZM
— Allie Hodgkins-Brown (@AllieHBNews) December 17, 2020
Why does Matt Hancock sit down like Woody in Toy Story when a human enters the room pic.twitter.com/uJOrAWJiTU
— Calgie (@christiancalgie) December 17, 2020
This is very good.
— Tony Sumner #sigh (@TonyLSumner) December 17, 2020
Joe does Do They Know Its Christmas by way of the government’s mis-management of the coronavirus pandemic. #coronavirus #BorisJohnson #COVID19 #CovidChristmas pic.twitter.com/l1s74N61Vl
Meanwhile…
The situation in our talks with the EU is very serious tonight. Progress seems blocked and time is running out. The Prime Minister @BorisJohnson set out his concerns about the state of play to Commission President @vonderleyen this evening. https://t.co/wTOGrvXbWT
— David Frost (@DavidGHFrost) December 17, 2020
U.K. statement after @BorisJohnson @vonderleyen call
— Tony Connelly (@tconnellyRTE) December 17, 2020
The PM underlined that the negotiations were now in a serious situation. Time was very short and it now looked very likely that agreement would not be reached unless the EU position changed substantially.
With @BorisJohnson we took stock of the EU-UK negotiations.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) December 17, 2020
We welcomed substantial progress on many issues. Yet big differences remain to be bridged, in particular on fisheries. Bridging them will be very challenging.
Negotiations will continue tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/ou5NUibZ3e
They tweet this guff because they think there are people out there who are dim enough to lap it up. All of these deals – apart from one I think – were done for us by the EU. We’ve photocopied them, handed them over and the other countries have shrugged and gone ‘I guess…’ https://t.co/kMzzRvraBx
— Tim Farron (@timfarron) December 17, 2020
“Brexiters’ fatal confusion between sovereignty and power is about to be exposed. Untrammelled sovereignty sounds alluring but when each nation’s security and economic wellbeing is inextricably connected to those of others it…does not confer real power.” https://t.co/nj4fxtHOqz
— Jim Pickard (@PickardJE) December 17, 2020
***
THE RAGING DUMPSTER FIRE THAT IS TRUMPWORLD – NOW WITH ADDED CYBER-CHAOS
President Trump has been largely silent as the country faces the coronavirus pandemic, an ongoing cyberattack and no stimulus deal yet. https://t.co/sD3rzvogn5 pic.twitter.com/eq2NGulIAt
— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) December 17, 2020
SCOOP/BREAKING NEWS: The Energy Department and National Nuclear Security Administration, which maintains the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, have evidence that hackers accessed their networks, officials directly familiar with the matter said. https://t.co/w3aIRvY67c
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) December 17, 2020
President Trump has yet to make any public mention of the massive hack affecting several federal government agencies that cybersecurity experts say bears the hallmarks of an operation carried out by Russia's foreign intelligence service. https://t.co/wgl0HTeiX1
— NPR Politics (@nprpolitics) December 17, 2020
*Donald Trump’s first Homeland Security Adviser Thomas Bossert writes about the hacking of the US Govt: "The magnitude of this ongoing attack is hard to overstate.”
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) December 17, 2020
*All evidence points to Russian intelligence as the perp.
*Trump has been utterly silent.https://t.co/DKCqM8MV8u
WARNING: Russian intelligence penetration of numerous agencies SolarWinds management program is a direct attack on the United States. Trump allowed this Christmas shopping spree. Russia must be punished directly when @JoeBiden is President. #TakeTheirMoney #SeizeTheirAssets https://t.co/rNvFFZyCpr
— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) December 17, 2020
The most dangerous terrorist that America is facing right now is the President of the United States. https://t.co/q67XmOtLiY
— Steve Silberman (@stevesilberman) December 17, 2020
Exclusive: Suspected Russian hacking spree reached into Microsoft – sources https://t.co/adMCP64JgW pic.twitter.com/OYxUDY6att
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 17, 2020
Pence is planning to oversee Trump's loss on Jan 6, then leave the country for a trip per aides. https://t.co/XBnftnCnEP
— Amy Siskind 🏳️🌈 (@Amy_Siskind) December 17, 2020
As Biden’s inauguration approaches, Republicans close to the White House told @gabrielsherman that Trump could be poised for a final round of norm-shattering actions https://t.co/JiFe2CYDFN
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) December 17, 2020
Trump’s post-election tantrum is forcing many conservatives to affirm, over and over again, that he lost the election fair and square.
— Susan Glasser (@sbg1) December 18, 2020
My latest Letter from Washington is up @NewYorker: https://t.co/CrYcrkXW5n
Rubio, who accused Donald Trump of having a small penis, is SHOCKED by bad words used in Glamour—after being cool with four years of Trump’s vulgarity. https://t.co/2yQX1zGzGg
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) December 17, 2020
“GOP leaders are now divided between the fearful and the deluded — between those who have lost their nerve and those who have lost their minds.” https://t.co/TSUxr7ApQM
— Michael Gerson (@MJGerson) December 17, 2020
It's weird how much time we've spent since the election worrying about hurting the tender, gentle feelings of Trump & the GOP—the same man & party who literally ran on a "Fuck Your Feelings 2020" platform and denigrated their opponents as "snowflakes." Who's the snowflake now? https://t.co/qap6XlKBCP
— Garrett M. Graff (@vermontgmg) December 17, 2020
Vladimir Putin receives an update on Donald Trump and the 2020 election. pic.twitter.com/qkJqNr0lRh
— Jared Pushner 🇺🇸 (@JaredPushner) December 17, 2020
The original Imperial College forecast in March also predicted accurately that mass gatherings with relatively fleeting contact between people – like protests by people in masks – would be less of a risk for Covid-19 transmission than bars and restaurants https://t.co/VqFdiLOYxr pic.twitter.com/JVGmVPdzkL
— Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) December 17, 2020
One thing that will be hard for future historians to understand is how Americans avoided seeing that the Trump administration is clearly *in favor* of spreading #COVID19. https://t.co/e9tPEIuIMO
— Steve Silberman (@stevesilberman) December 17, 2020
The Overnight Note 