"There is a tidal wave of Omicron coming," UK PM Boris Johnson warns, as he brings forward Covid booster vaccine target to end of Decemberhttps://t.co/Su6yIqCYN3
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) December 12, 2021
Newspaper headlines: A million jabs a day, as PM declares Omicron 'emergency' https://t.co/blkrcGpLqG
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) December 12, 2021
Boris Johnson could easily have made this statement to Parliament tomorrow or called a press conference tonight so any announcements could be scrutinised by journalists instead. Telling that he chose to do neither.
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) December 12, 2021
Addresses to the nation are supposed to be reserved for the gravest news and vital public information. We already know omicron is spreading and the booster rollout is expanding. Like May before him, Johnson is abusing his office to shore up his personal position
— Jonathan Lis (@jonlis1) December 12, 2021
…and may I ask if those 1 million extra doses per day are actually available for immediate roll-out?
— nigel waugh (@nglwaug) December 12, 2021
One reason for Johnson’s fragile political position is that many Conservative MPs think he’s over-reacting to Omicron. By the time Parliament returns in the New Year, there’s a good chance that public opinion will think he under-reacted.
— David Gauke (@DavidGauke) December 12, 2021
Not from the Guardian but the Telegraph: 'The collapse of trust can be traced to the fatal flaws in Boris Johnson’s personality. The latest crisis in No 10 is no fleeting embarrassment; but a game-changer that has stripped the PM of any remaining credibility.'
— John Simpson (@JohnSimpsonNews) December 12, 2021
‘Crime week’
— Anneliese Dodds 💙 (@AnnelieseDodds) December 12, 2021
©Boris Johnson pic.twitter.com/acsX6dEiDJ
The @metpoliceuk has confirmed to me that the force has not changed its position & still does NOT plan to investigate Downing Street/Boris Johnson for Covid rule-breaking
— Rachel Wearmouth (@REWearmouth) December 12, 2021
Two years ago today, Boris Johnson won a landslide victory in the general election.
— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) December 12, 2021
This morning the Conservative Party is talking of removing him as Prime Minister.
Astonishing how quickly events have moved.
▪️Most Covid deaths in Europe
— David Schneider (@davidschneider) December 12, 2021
▪️Greatest economic hit in G7
▪️Farming, fishing devastated
▪️£12bn less trade a month
▪️Rampant corruption
▪️Illegal Xmas parties
▪️Empty supermarket shelves
▪️NHS, social care wrecked
▪️Money taken off poorest
Happy 2 years in power, Boris Johnson
several Tory MPs said privately last week that Johnson’s position was untenable if photos came to light of him at lockdown parties https://t.co/bAv4ZgqLMc
— Jim Pickard (@PickardJE) December 11, 2021
BREAKING NEWS: Johnson hosted Christmas Party and Quiz in No 10 on December 15th 2020 – and there are pictures.
— Lloyd Hardy (@LloydHardy) December 11, 2021
Now lets shut this Government down. Sack all of them and especially #SackSunak so he's never PM. pic.twitter.com/sESAKyHcX0
BREAKING: Boris Johnson denies hosting quiz at No 10, as it was actually an emergency Cobra meeting to determine which Irish singer-songwriter released the 1990 hit single ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’.
— Have I Got News For You (@haveigotnews) December 12, 2021
Breaking: Mirror reports Johnson popped in on Xmas quiz in 10 Downing Street this time last year says @ChrisMasonBBC to @CliveMyrieBBC Guess Johnson may soon be quizzed himself – by the 1922 Committee. They really were having a laugh – weren’t they? Let’s have grown up govt. pic.twitter.com/YBkW0Rw6E1
— Peter Kay (@theonlypeterkay) December 11, 2021
Excuse me? My phenomenal pressures at work were calling families to tell them their loved ones were dying & trying to comfort those patients myself. Over & over & over again. Yet oddly I didn’t feel the need to break Covid rules with fellow frontline staff 🤷♀️ https://t.co/EIFeLkWGF7
— Rachel Clarke (@doctor_oxford) December 12, 2021
On Tuesday 100 Tory MPs who are in favour of taking away our right to protest will be voting against their own government for the right to not wear a mask. You cannot make political hypocrisy on this scale up.
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) December 12, 2021
" I will vote against vaccine passports, I will vote against extending the face mask mandate, I'll vote against mandatory vaccinations, a condition of NHS employment."
— Simon Gosden. Esq. #fbpe 3.5% 🕷🇪🇺🇬🇧🏴☠️🦠💙 (@g_gosden) December 12, 2021
Some of you may die, that’s a risk I’m willing to take. 😡😡😡
pic.twitter.com/wJXuxbECr6
In 2019 I wrote that Boris Johnson had done more for a United Ireland than the IRA ever did. Ashcroft’s startling poll of NI voters proves this assessment was more accurate than I could have guessed.🧵
— Jonathan Powell (@jnpowell1) December 12, 2021
Nearly 50% think Brexit has made a United Ireland much more likely and another 18% slightly more likely pic.twitter.com/NLPVRCkmqW
— Jonathan Powell (@jnpowell1) December 12, 2021
***
Amid relief efforts, the inevitable politics
Disaster-aid and humanitarian groups are mobilizing to help tornado victims and setting up dedicated funds for donations to support their efforts. https://t.co/UKzFnFnhYZ
— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) December 12, 2021
Nearly $1 million to Kentucky tornado relief fund. Let’s get that to $5 million today. https://t.co/IyigDbII7u
— Joe Sonka 😐 (@joesonka) December 12, 2021
Joe’s helping oversee the largest, most important tornado relief effort in American history
— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) December 12, 2021
you purposeful dolt https://t.co/5EJaoH54C2
Has Biden done the traditional thing where he threatens to withhold tornado disaster relief until governors of affected states praise him, or rake their forests or whatever yet?
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) December 11, 2021
As a taxpayer, I’d rather my money go to help natural disaster victims than to pay Rand Paul’s salary. https://t.co/raqQkQPh5V
— Marie Connor (@thistallawkgirl) December 12, 2021
It remains unclear why workers at the Mayfield Consumer Products factory kept making candles Friday night as a tornado bore down on western Kentucky. The tornado demolished the factory, and only 40 of the 110 workers at the plant have been rescued. https://t.co/OjVsnNHGC9
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 12, 2021
Amazon executive sent “thoughts and prayers” to workers stuck in a company warehouse following tornado warnings. 6 are now confirmed dead. https://t.co/D0zvX4OMgs
— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) December 12, 2021
anyone flattened in a warehouse by a tornado while doing wage labor did not “pass away,” they were killed https://t.co/7A4MPZweGR
— Seth Pollack (@sethmpk) December 11, 2021
Donald Trump could subvert the next election, and his coup attempt has already begun, @bartongellman writes in our cover story. On December 13, join Gellman, @anneapplebaum, and @AdrienneLaF for a live virtual event about the threats to American democracy. https://t.co/PMCcZJO4LI pic.twitter.com/1mhLYWhNvP
— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) December 12, 2021
Jan 5 was a busy day for those working to overthrow our democracy.
— ClearingTheFog (@clearing_fog) December 12, 2021
The day before this (Jan 4), the “Options for Jan 6” PowerPoint deck was presented to members of Congress, and Chris Miller issued his memo essentially disabling/nerfing the DC National Guard. https://t.co/lmek9yd0ng
NEW: Pence fuels speculation of 2024 presidential bid https://t.co/s04ljIh4oQ pic.twitter.com/AFxsqBvKwa
— The Hill (@thehill) December 12, 2021
Kamala vs. Pete in 2024? Think again.
— Alex Burns (@alexburnsNYT) December 12, 2021
If Biden doesn't run, there's a big pack of Dems likely to consider the race. Pritzker, Landrieu, Murphy, Klobuchar & many more.
Of course, Biden advisers are adamant that he's running …@jmartNYT & me 👇👇https://t.co/qf47NownMC
Chris Wallace bails on Fox News https://t.co/ghZkLW4a9d
— Eric Garland (@ericgarland) December 12, 2021
Chris Wallace joins @CNNplus. Press announcement: pic.twitter.com/c0Uhc4jv1C
— Kyung Lah (@KyungLahCNN) December 12, 2021
The Overnight Note 