Last October, Prince Harry made a surprise appearance at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. We knew that Harry was/is a Formula 1 fan and, even more than that, he’s friendly with Lewis Hamilton. What was even funnier about Harry’s surprise appearance was that he was a special guest of Mercedes. He spent time in the Mercedes garage and hung out with Mercedes executives and everyone was like “cool, he’s a VIP, of course Mercedes wants some ginger rizz.” As it turns out, Harry’s appearance in Austin was about more than “Harry enjoying a Formula 1 race.” He was there on business! Mercedes has now partnered with BetterUp:

We’re proud to announce @BetterUp is partnering with the @MercedesAMGF1 team to bring mental strength, resilience, and agility to the racetrack — all in the name of performance. pic.twitter.com/mUEUgEMwzQ

— BetterUp (@BetterUp) February 27, 2024

What’s fascinating is that BetterUp is using a photo of Lewis Hamilton in their social media, which probably shows that this has been in the works for months… because Lewis is no longer with Mercedes. He moved over to Ferrari and the announcement came about a month ago. If Lewis was still with Mercedes, I would say that this is all part of Harry’s networking strategy and a huge reason why Harry is BetterUp’s Chief Impact Officer. But with Lewis gone, I don’t even know! Do you think Harry knew that Lewis was leaving when he, BetterUp and Mercedes were working out a deal?

Mercedes AMG Petronas updated their site with the BetterUp news – Lewis or no Lewis, they’ve really partnered with BetterUp. Is this the whole reason why Harry was a special guest last October? LOL, maybe Ferrari will partner with BetterUp too. Hopefully, Lewis will put in a good word.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.

One of the dumbest storylines of the past year was “the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were lying about being chased by the paparazzi in New York.” Last May, Meghan, Prince Harry and Doria Ragland attended the Ms. Foundation gala, where Meghan was being honored. They posed for official photos on the gala red carpet, and Harry and Meghan also left the event through one of the main exits, giving the swarm of paparazzi some good “street” shots. The Sussexes got into their security SUV and then all hell broke loose, as paparazzi chased the Sussexes’ convoy for two hours. NYPD officers were already part of the convoy, and at one point, the swarm/chase was so bad, the Sussexes had to go inside a police precinct and gather themselves. In the wake of the chase, the British media claimed that it was all make-believe, it was all an attention-seeking fantasy cooked up by the Sussexes. Meanwhile, CNN and other outlets were being briefed by the Sussexes’ private security people – some of whom are former Secret Service – that the incident really was a very bad situation. Well, guess what? The NYPD officially backed up the Sussexes’ story:

Prince Harry finds himself Wednesday in the unenviable position of having lost his war on the British government over his security arrangements, with a judge rejecting his demand for automatic police protection while in the U.K. He has, however won a battle, and some consolation may yet be found by the Sussexes after their much-mocked claim that they had been involved in a “near catastrophic” car chase through the streets of New York City last year, was vindicated in the judgment.

… Now, however, it has emerged in the judgement that the NYPD found that the chase in May really did happen, and has concluded that the behavior of the paparazzi chasing Harry and Meghan was not just “reckless” but also “persistently dangerous.” In what is likely to be a sweet vindication for Harry and Meghan, a senior officer at the NYPD has said the city not only holds enough evidence to arrest two people for reckless endangerment, but has also upgraded its security protocol for visits by Prince Harry and Meghan following the incident last May.

In a letter to the Metropolitan Police in London dated Dec. 6 2023, the NYPD’s Chief of Intelligence discussed “certain changes to the security posture that will be afforded to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex” following a “thorough review” of the incident.

The intelligence chief wrote: “We found the following: reckless disregard of vehicle and traffic laws and persistently dangerous and unacceptable behavior on the part of the paparazzi during the night in question. The individuals operated vehicles, scooters, and bicycles in a manner that forced the security team, which included an NYPD Lead Car, to take evasive actions on several occasions and a circuitous route to avoid being struck by pursuing vehicles or trapped on side blocks. Our conclusion, upon review with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, is that we have sufficient evidence to arrest two individuals for reckless endangerment.”

The intelligence briefing was published Wednesday in the judgement in the lawsuit Prince Harry was bringing against the British Government over his security provisions in the U.K. While the NYPD has yet to actually arrest anyone in connection with the incident, there has been an immediate upgrade in the security extended to Prince Harry and Meghan when they visit New York in the future, according to the officer.

The letter was addressed to the Chief Superintendent and Commander of the Royalty and Speciality Protection, and was produced in court by Harry’s lawyer.

[From The Daily Beast]

Yeah – you could tell from the fact that everyone involved (including the paparazzi) shut the hell up that something serious went down that night. It really was just the British media insisting that no, it wasn’t serious, of course Harry and Meghan are lying! I always thought that one of the reasons why everything got so hush-hush was that not all of those people were paparazzi. It was an unsafe situation because there were people chasing them with a specific intent to do harm. You could also tell that the NYPD was taking it seriously because when the Sussexes visited New York last October, the Sussexes practically had a presidential convoy of NYPD security as they moved around the city. The British media was really mad about that too, almost as if they’ve been desperately trying to inflict harm on the Sussexes for years.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid.

A confluence of events has led to this week being some kind of breaking point. The Princess of Wales has not been seen, photographed or heard from since Christmas Day, over 63 days ago. Prince William looks like he can barely crawl out of a bottle for his few public appearances since Kate went missing. There was the mess with the staged photos outside of the London Clinic, then William wasn’t seen visiting Kate at all even though they claimed she had major abdominal surgery. Kensington Palace can’t even keep anyone properly updated on Kate’s condition – “sources” claimed that Kate went to Norfolk two weeks ago, then they never mentioned whether or not she “returned” to Adelaide Cottage in Windsor. Kate’s parents have also been MIA – no updates from Carole Middleton and no sightings either, all while Kate’s siblings enjoy ski holidays and beach holidays, and all while Queen Camilla looks like the cat who got the cream.

Meanwhile, for the past two months, William has looked alternately bleak, panicked, drunk and/or in over his head. It feels like King Charles used Prince Harry’s quick visit as a way to “smoke out” William from whatever bender he was on, and it worked – William was suddenly very eager to throw a very loud tantrum over all things Harry, and William also rushed out and did a handful of “events.” Then William disappeared again, suddenly pulling out of an appearance at his godfather’s memorial service and loudly insisting that it had nothing to do with the death of Thomas Kingston. It’s turning into an Agatha Christie mystery.

Added to all of that, suddenly We Got This Covered decided to publish this story: “What would happen to Prince William if he was charged with a serious crime?” Sub-head: “Can you send a Prince to prison, and what happens when he becomes the King?” I won’t excerpt it, but you can read it at the link. It was making the rounds on Twitter yesterday, alongside all of the other royal news.

So many people are paying attention to these royal dramas nowadays. “Kate Middleton” has been trending for 24 hours and I get the feeling that Kensington Palace had no idea how international their mess would become.

pic.twitter.com/ORiw2AyGTg

— Tom Zohar (@TomZohar) February 28, 2024

Huge if true. pic.twitter.com/HmDUyDttmR

— No Context Brits (@NoContextBrits) February 27, 2024

oh i am falling down the rabbit hole here so fast it’s crazy https://t.co/CC76JbG3rH

— David Mack (@davidmackau) February 27, 2024

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

According to Becky English at the Mail, Kensington Palace only informed the media about Prince William’s absence from his godfather’s Windsor memorial service less than an hour before it began. KP told reporters that William had contacted the Greek royals beforehand, but William’s name was still in the program (he was supposed to give a reading) and KP would not explain why William was skipping, other than “Kate is doing well.” Hours later, Thomas Kingston’s passing was announced – Kingston, the husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor, died in Gloucestershire on Sunday and the Windsors waited two days to announce it. KP rushed out and told every royal reporter that William’s memorial absence had nothing to do with Kingston’s death. It’s all very strange and I don’t have one coherent conspiracy theory to explain what’s happening. But I know that it’s notable that even royal commentators are openly discussing the weirdness around William:

Royal experts said today it ‘was strange’ that Prince William pulled out of attending a memorial service for the late King Constantine of Greece at the last minute for unspecified ‘personal reasons’. No further detail was given on William’s absence, with royal sources saying his wife the Princess of Wales is ‘doing well’ at home as she continues to recover after her abdominal surgery last month. William was last seen at the Baftas on February 18, while Kate has not been seen since Christmas at Sandringham.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams described the Prince of Wales’ cancellation ‘very strange’, especially because the heir to the throne was due to give a reading. The last minute decision resulted in the Greek royal family posting online an old order of service containing his reading and a eulogy given by Lord Soames in which he spoke about how ‘very touched and proud’ King Constantine would have been that it had been given by his godson.

He told MailOnline: ‘William’s non-appearance at the Memorial Service for his godfather King Constantine, the last king of Greece, owing to a personal matter is certainly unexpected. This will be an event that William will be extremely sad to have been unable to attend.’

‘King Charles was close to King Constantine and his second cousin. Queen Camilla led the royal family. Princess Anne deputised for him at the King’s funeral in Greece last year as he could not attend owing to a prior commitment. The late Queen famously met Camilla at a party given by Charles when Prince of Wales for King Constantine’s 60th Birthday which was symbolically a highly important moment in their relationship and seen as giving her approval to it’.

Royal biographer Phil Dampier told MailOnline that the move was ‘worrying’.

‘Constantine was his godfather and very close to all the royals, particularly King Charles, and he would have wanted William there as he didn’t attend,’ he said. ‘William only lives a stone’s throw away, so it’s very concerning.’

Mr Dampier praised Camilla, who he said was doing a ‘fantastic job in recent weeks keeping the royal road show on the road’.

[From The Daily Mail]

“Worrying,” “strange” and “concerning,” all while pointing out that William lives just a short distance away in Adelaide Cottage, and if William was actually staying at AC (no one knows), then the church service would have been within walking distance. Take your pick of conspiracies: William was too drunk or hungover to go; William is forever lazy; William didn’t want to see his family, particularly his stepmother; William was too tired from doing the school run; William is upset following Thomas Kingston’s death. As I said, I don’t have one theory which answers all of these questions, but it definitely feels like something significant has shifted and more people are paying attention to how f–king weird the Windsors are acting these days. This week really has been a turning point.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

Prince Harry “lost” in court today, in his years-long attempt to get some accountability for how his royal security was removed in 2020. In the four years since the Sussexes’ royal protection was withdrawn, we have gotten a fuller picture on how and why it happened. Basically, the fix was in as soon as Harry refused to stop pursuing all of the leaks from Kensington Palace, plus Harry started suing all of the British newspapers. There was a lot of drama with QEII’s private secretary Edward Young, who was also on the RAVEC committee which oversees who gets royal protection. Young and Charles’s office made sure that the Sussexes’ security was yanked suddenly in 2020, and Harry has spent years trying to get everything on the record about how and why that happened. Plus, Harry wants royal security when he visits the UK, which Ravec and the Met Police have rejected (even though Harry wants to pay back the costs). In any case, Harry lost:

Prince Harry has lost a High Court challenge against the government over the level of his security protection when he is in the UK. The Duke of Sussex had been trying to overturn a ruling which saw his security status downgraded after he stopped being a “working royal”. His lawyers argued there was unfairness in how the decision was made. The Home Office previously said his security was decided on a case-by-case basis.

Back in December, when the challenge was made, Home Office lawyers told the High Court Prince Harry would still have publicly-funded police security, but these would be “bespoke arrangements, specifically tailored to him”, rather than the automatic security provided for full-time working royals. Much of the legal proceedings, which covered security arrangements for senior figures, were held in private in December, with the ruling issued by retired High Court judge Sir Peter Lane on Wednesday morning.

The ruling could have implications for the Duke’s future visits to the UK, as he previously argued that the lower level of security has made it difficult to bring his family to the country.

In the ruling, Sir Peter rejected the Duke’s case, finding that there had not been any unlawfulness in reaching the decision to downgrade Prince Harry’s security status, and that any departure from policy was justified. It found the decision was not irrational, nor marred by procedural unfairness. In the 51-page, partially redacted document, Sir Peter said Harry’s lawyers had taken “an inappropriate, formalist interpretation of the Ravec process”.

Ravec, or the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, arranges security for members of the Royal Family and other VIPs. It has delegated responsibility from the Home Office, and has involvement from the Metropolitan Police, the Cabinet Office and the royal household. The ruling also found that the “‘bespoke’ process devised” for Prince Harry by Ravec “was, and is, legally sound”.

[From BBC]

I have no idea if Prince Harry actually thought he was ever going to win any of these legal challenges, but I’ve always believed that he did all of this to simply put some things on the record and to show everyone that the whole process was pretty hinky. Plus, I think Harry was going on his own little fact-finding mission, because he initially did not understand how and why he got screwed over so badly. I always go back to Harry’s mother and how she didn’t have royal protection in the last year of her life, and how the Firm always claimed that Diana herself rejected royal protection. Harry was like: they’re not doing that to me, I’m putting it on the record that they removed my security by a shady, unfair process and that the order came from Buckingham Palace and Clarence House.

Update: This is Harry’s response, via a legal spokesperson: “The Duke is not asking for preferential treatment, but for a fair and lawful application of RAVEC’s own rules..The Duke’s case is that the so-called “bespoke process” that applies to him, is no substitute for that risk analysis. The Duke of Sussex hopes he will obtain justice from the Court of Appeal, and makes no further comment while the case is ongoing.”

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

I don’t know why, but I honestly didn’t expect to see Prince Andrew at the Windsor memorial service for King Constantine on Tuesday. I thought it would be family-only and much smaller than it turned out, but even then, I wasn’t aware that Andrew had any particular closeness to the Greek royals at all. But he let it be known that the Greek royals invited him, and the Windsors okayed his attendance by saying it was a private family event rather than a public event. Which is true – it wasn’t a state event because Constantine was not the head of any state, and there are familial ties between the Greek royals, the Windsors and the Spanish royals.

Still, even if you argue that it was “fine” for Andrew to attend, whoever allowed this staging needs to be out of a job. Andrew, striding in front of his sister Anne and the rest of the family, all while Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia trail behind the most minor of British royals. Yiiikes. And what a moment for Sarah Ferguson to once again be included in a family event. At least Sarah looked well – her color looks better than King Charles’s.

Not only was the walk to church bizarrely staged, but Andrew was also allowed to sit “just five seats away” from Queen Camilla in the front row. Andrew was also seated in front of Prince Michael of Kent and his horrid wife, plus Andrew’s daughters were seated behind him too. While King Charles and Prince William were absent, Andrew was the “highest-ranked” Windsor man there. Also: given how many of the Windsors came out, it feels notable that Prince Edward and Sophie skipped the memorial, right? Hours after the memorial service, Sophie and Edward were photographed on a ski holiday. Huh.

Anyway, this just serves as a reminder that the Windsors are still totally fine with Andrew. They never tossed him out, they never demanded that he go away and never be seen again. Even when the Jeffrey Epstein files were coming out at the beginning of the year, King Charles was reportedly more concerned about Andrew’s “diminished confidence” and mental health. They’re totally fine with rape and human trafficking, okay?

Leading royal. pic.twitter.com/FdFBdvtI1E

— Peter Hunt (@_PeterHunt) February 27, 2024

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

So much of the royal press these days is like one big game of chicken. There are so many big stories which are left unsaid, unwritten and untweeted, until one of the royal rota breaks rank and says something mildly critical of the left-behind Windsors. That rota reporter who breaks rank is usually cited by other reporters as they regurgitate the news, all while pouring vague denials on it. In this case, the Mail’s Becky English is in charge of the rota and who gets assigned to what story and how the flow of information works to the other rota members. I learned that from reading Omid Scobie’s Endgame – Becky English has a lot of unchecked power, and she speaks from a place deep within the invisible contract between press and palace. Well, English is in her feelings about Prince William’s as-yet-unexplained absence from his godfather’s memorial service on Tuesday. English’s piece in the Mail is: “With Charles heading off for more treatment, William’s still unexplained absence shows just how fragile our monarchy is.” Some highlights:

When Prince William canceled: Just 46 minutes before the service at St George’s Chapel was due to start, a message from Kensington Palace dropped on my phone as I stood waiting in the castle’s Lower Ward for the royal party to arrive, prompting ripples of concern. William, his spokesman said, would unfortunately be ‘no longer able to attend the King Constantine Memorial Service this morning due to a personal matter’. It is understood that he personally called the late Greek king’s family to let them know he was unable to attend.

William’s spokesperson had a bad day: The spokesman refused to be drawn any further on what the matter might be, or when the prince became aware he would have to pull out. Nor would they say if it had anything to do with his wife’s ongoing medical issues (Kate is not expected to be seen in public until after Easter as she recovers from unspecified abdominal surgery) although they added in response to my question that ‘the Princess of Wales continues to be doing well’.

Completely rude: There is little doubt, though, that the decision was eye-wateringly last minute – normally anathema to the royals, who know how much work goes into organising events such as this and how much their absence will be publicly remarked upon, especially in the current climate. And it did little to calm the air of jitteriness swirling around our ever-dwindling Royal Family. I noted that William’s name was even printed in the Order of Service as he had been due to give the second reading – Revelation 21. 1-7 – in honour of his late godfather, the affable, exiled Constantine II, who died in Athens last month at the age of 82.

A mundane reason, surely: Of course, there may be a perfectly mundane reason that necessitated the prince to pull out at such short notice (and sources insisted to me – emphasised in capital letters – that there was ‘NOTHING to panic about’). But William’s last-minute absence occurs against a backdrop of both his wife’s medical issues as well as the King’s shock cancer diagnosis and ongoing treatment, making these worrying days for the Royal Family.

Oh, good, a mention of Prince Harry: While the nation holds its breath and wishes His Majesty well, we are all also deeply conscious that an increasingly heavy burden rests on the shoulders of William and his wife, not to mention their young family. It is one made all the more acute by the absence of his former ‘wingman’, Prince Harry, the self-deposed ‘spare’. Watching our unintentionally slimmed-down family walk into the chapel through the Galilee Porch today only emphasised the fragility of the current set-up.

The death of Thomas Kingston: The elderly Prince and Princess Michael of Kent were also present at the chapel despite the tragic news of the death of their son-in-law, Thomas Kingston, at the age of 45, less than 48 hours earlier. It would have been a particularly difficult occasion for them given it was the scene of Gabriella and Thomas’s marriage just four years ago. It is understood that the sad news is not connected to William’s absence.

William will be seen this week: Fortunately, I can reveal, William will be seen again in public this week. He is, I am told, ‘looking forward’ to undertaking his remaining engagements: a sensitive meeting with members of the Jewish community and other faiths at a synagogue as part of a series of visits to highlight the work of organisations trying to bring peace and relief to the Middle East, as well as a number of engagements to mark St David’s Day on Friday. His return to a more forward-facing role will no doubt bring a crumb of comfort to the millions who wish him well. But his sudden – and unexplained – absence today amid an abundance of European royals sadly reminds of us how perilously small and fragile our own monarchy now finds itself.

[From The Daily Mail]

As chain-yankings go, this is pretty weaksauce. I wouldn’t even say that this is Becky English doing anything more than registering her on-the-record disappointment that William still can’t get his f–king act together. But there’s no threat here, for now. No one is saying the big secret which the Windsors and half of the rota seemingly know already, which is “what happened to Kate/why is William’s behavior so weird/what the hell is going on here.” Besides, it’s clear that KP is insisting to English that William will leave the house (or wherever he is) to do some events this week.

Also, I tweeted this and I still believe it – William probably thought he could slack off and his cancellation would just be a minor local story, one which the sycophantic press would cover gently. What surprised Kensington Palace was just how quickly William’s absence became global news because of what English is talking about – the sense that the Windsors seem exceptionally “fragile” right now, with Kate’s disappearance and Charles’s cancer. I watched in real time as William’s lazy-ass cancellation became huge international news yesterday and I doubt William or his people were prepared for that.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instar and Cover Images.

Lady Gabriella Windsor’s husband Thomas Kingston has passed away unexpectedly. Gabriella and Thomas got engaged in September 2018, and their wedding was held at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor (just like the Sussex wedding), and it took place in May 2019. It was a sedate royal wedding but the bride and groom looked lovely on their wedding day. We didn’t hear much about them since then, but they were invited to some of the bigger royal events and they seemed close to Gabriella’s royal relations. I didn’t even know where they lived before now – apparently, Thomas passed away on Sunday at their home in Gloucestershire.

Thomas Kingston, a British financier who was the husband of Lady Gabriella and former boyfriend of Pippa Middleton, has died at age 45. A statement released on Tuesday on behalf of Lady Gabriella Kingston, Martin and Jill Kingston, Joanna Connolly and Emma Murray said, “It is with the deepest sorrow that we announce the death of Thomas Kingston, our beloved husband, son and brother. Tom was an exceptional man who lit up the lives of all who knew him. His death has come as a great shock to the whole family, and we ask you to respect our privacy as we mourn his passing.”

A palace spokesperson said that King Charles and Queen Camilla were informed of Kingston’s death. “The King and The Queen have been informed of Thomas’s death and join Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and all those who knew him in grieving a much-loved member of the family. In particular, Their Majesties send their most heartfelt thoughts and prayers to Gabriella and to all the Kingston family,” the palace spokesperson’s statement said.

Kingston died in Gloucestershire on Sunday, with emergency services called to the scene shortly after 6 p.m. Although the cause of death is undetermined, no suspicious circumstances or other parties are involved.

Kingston worked as a director at Devonport Capital. According to his biography on the company’s website, he has a bachelor’s degree in economic history from Bristol University and previously worked at Schroders and Voltan Capital.

[From People]

A tragedy – only 45 years old, and to go so suddenly and so… mysteriously. Speaking of, Gabriella’s parents, Prince Michael of Kent and Princess Michael of Kent, attended King Constantine’s memorial service in Windsor and they didn’t seem to let on that their son-in-law had passed away suddenly. I also find it odd that there was a two-day delay in releasing the information. Even more mysterious is the sudden rush of royal reporters declaring that Prince William’s absence from the memorial had nothing to do with Kingston’s passing.

Prince William’s absence from the memorial service for his godfather King Constantine of Greece was not connected to the death of Thomas Kingston, the husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor, it is understood. Mr Kingston, 45, was found dead at an address in Gloucestershire on Sunday evening and emergency services were called to the scene shortly after 6pm.

Earlier today, royal experts said that it ‘was strange’ that Prince William pulled out of attending a memorial service for the late King Constantine of Greece at the last minute for unspecified ‘personal reasons’. But it is understood that the Prince of Wales’ absence from the memorial for the personal matter was not connected to the news of Mr Kingston’s sudden death.

[From The Daily Mail]

A lot of people are being very, very weird. I mean… it would actually make sense if William’s absence was about Kingston’s death. Kensington Palace could have said “William was exceptionally close to Gabriella and Thomas, he is helping with the arrangements.” But that would have been a lie, I’m sure. Like… the whole thing is just really sad, upsetting and tragic. I feel bad for Gabriella.

Royal sources say the death of Mr Kingston is not connected to the Prince of Wales’s absence from King Constantine’s memorial service today.

— Roya Nikkhah (@RoyaNikkhah) February 27, 2024

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.

About a month ago, we discussed the measles outbreak in Europe and community spread within the United States. In 2023, Europe saw 30 times more measles cases than it did in 2022, causing the UK to declare a “national incident” due to the significant public health risk. Although the US declared the highly-contagious virus to be eliminated back in 2000, clusters of cases have been popping up in several states.

It’s frustrating enough that a formerly eradicated virus is making a completely preventable comeback, but this is a scenario that can very well have devastating consequences worldwide. In a pretty scary warning, the World Health Organization said last week that by the end of the year – yes, *this year* – more than half the world will be at a “high or very high risk” of having measles outbreaks due to “big gaps” in vaccine programs during Covid. The immunization setbacks are a result of “the Covid-19 pandemic, associated disruptions, and Covid-19 vaccination efforts” all putting a strain on health systems.

“What we are worried about is this year, 2024, we’ve got these big gaps in our immunization programs, and if we don’t fill them really quickly with the vaccine, measles will just jump into that gap,” Natasha Crowcroft, a Senior Technical Adviser on Measles and Rubella with the WHO, said during a press briefing in Geneva.

“We can see, from data that’s produced with WHO data by the CDC, that more than half of all the countries in the world are going to be at high or very high risk of outbreaks by the end of this year,” she added.

Measles, according to the WHO, is a “highly contagious, serious airborne disease caused by a virus that can lead to severe complications and death.”

While it is most common in children, it can affect anyone. Symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose and a rash all over the body.

Last year, more than 300,000 cases were reported worldwide, marking a 79% increase from 2022, Crowcroft said on behalf of the WHO. Global vaccination rates, she added, have slipped to 83%. Figures for deaths have not yet been completed, Crowcroft revealed.

This year, a total of 20 measles cases have been reported by 11 jurisdictions across the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Arizona, California, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York City, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia have all had cases, the organization said.

[From People]

I think we all knew that the pandemic was going to expose every flaw in the system, but my goodness, the public health repercussions are like the gift that keeps on giving. What we’re seeing now are the effects of a combination of lack of access, placing priorities elsewhere, and a very intense war against vaccines. I totally understand the issues that the pandemic caused, with immunization programs put on hold for obvious reasons and resources stretched thin to focus on the Covid vax rollout. Hopefully, we can bridge enough of the gaps there and avoid the worst-case scenario.

What I don’t understand, though, are the anti-vax parents. The movement has become a public menace that’s led to measles outbreaks before. Back in 2019, UNICEF directly named decreasing childhood vax rates as a “pathway” to measles outbreaks that were happening at the time. I don’t get it. The measles can be dangerous for children and the vaccine has been proven to be safe and effective! Why wouldn’t you want to help keep your kid from catching a potentially deadly virus? It boggles the mind.

photos credit: IMAGO/BL/BSIP/Avalon, Dennis Van Tine/Avalon, ulrich niehoff/ImageBROKER/Avalon, IMAGO/Joa Souza/ Avalon

I haven’t worn makeup in years, much to the chagrin of my mother. It’s not a protest, just laziness combined with always being in a rush in the morning. I used to have a lot of fun with it though, and liked to think that my painting background led to bold color choices. Some called it edgy, others clownish. Luckily very little photographic evidence survives. But I’m still enthusiastic when someone takes a risk with their red carpet look. I loved Florence Pugh’s futuristic Edie Sedgwick eye makeup at the New York Dune 2 premiere, and then I was excited to hear that Austin Butler donned some as well. The interwebs were likewise in favor:

Zendaya has been absolutely eating everyone up at the Dune: Part Two red carpets. From London… to Seoul… to New York. She’s been making her male costars look boring and basic. The men have, quite simply, not been putting in the work!

But now it seems that we have a glimmer of hope at the Dune 2 New York City premiere, where Austin Butler took the tiniest of fashion “risks.” He wore white eyeliner, and people seem to really, really like it.

A post about the eyeliner has over 30,000 likes on X. “Please save me Austin Butler with white eyeliner,” this fan said. “[T]hank you Jesus for giving us make up,” another fan said. Other people pointed out, well, his Elvis accent.

Either way, I know it’s extremely small, but baby steps are baby steps. Progress is progress!

Now, let’s get back to our regularly scheduled program of anticipating what Law Roach dresses Zendaya in next…

[From BuzzFeed]

Either the interwebs are in a collective effort to gaslight me, or I need another eye exam. Where is his eyeliner?!?! The only hint I get is in a close up shot where it looks like there’s kind of a highlighting line on his bottom lids (a trick I used to do myself). Is that what we’re talking about? With all the hype, maybe I was expecting something bigger. I know this ages me, but I feel like when Ewan McGregor used to wear eyeliner on the red carpet, you really knew he was wearing it. Ah, me. Assuming the white underlid liner is what everyone is talking about, good for Austin! I hope it gave him the feels he was aiming for! I just wish I could see it… I’ll give him this, though — he didn’t sound like Elvis to me in the interview clip.

Meanwhile, Austin met Sting at the premiere, who played the same role (Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen) in the 1984 David Lynch Dune film. Apparently, Sting offered to dry clean his codpiece from filming and loan it to Austin. Yes. The answer is yes, Austin.

OHHH the white eye pencil ate so bad pic.twitter.com/8xrzU61IHG

— lay (@saoirdaya) February 26, 2024

Embed from Getty Images

we must truly appreciate the moments ewan mcgregor unabashedly wore eyeliner and we mustn’t forget it pic.twitter.com/rHGlGnOffQ

— miranda (@hisgirlfridays) January 10, 2020

Photos credit: celebrityphotos uk / Avalon, Julie Edwards / Avalon